JP2009205267A - Network system, information processing apparatus and method, program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To control the input of power in such a way as to further ensure operation of a variety of devices connected to a network and to reduce power consumption. <P>SOLUTION: When, for example, a multicast by an SSDP is performed, a power-on time information acquisition part 131 acquires a URL contained in the packet of the multicast sent from another device, acquires information about the power-on time of the device by accessing the URL, and stores the information in association with an ID that specifies the device, etc. A power-on control part 132 specifies the time to activate the other device, based on e.g. information about a reservation set in itself and information about the power-on time, and if the present time is determined to be the time to activate the device, the power-on control part sends a Magic Packet. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a network system, an information processing apparatus and method, a program, and a recording medium, and in particular, performs power-on control that can operate various devices connected to the network more reliably and suppress power consumption. The present invention relates to a network system, an information processing apparatus and method, a program, and a recording medium.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, technologies for connecting devices such as personal computers, peripheral devices, AV devices, telephones, and home appliances in a home via a network and providing functions to each other have become widespread. As a technical specification for realizing such a network, for example, UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) has been proposed.

  UPnP is based on technology standardized on the Internet, and aims to function without complicated operations and setting operations simply by connecting to a network. For example, it is received by a receiver connected to the network. It is also possible to record the recorded content with a recorder.

  On the other hand, when the recording reservation time set in the STB is reached, the changeover switch is switched to the connection terminal, and the video signal is output for several seconds while the DC level of the color signal is set to 0.8 V, and the DC detection in the VTR When the recorder detects this voltage level, the recording control unit starts recording after the power is turned on by the power control unit, so that automatic recording can be performed in conjunction with timer reservation of the STB. A system has also been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  However, with the technique of Patent Document 1, it is not possible to control power-on of various devices connected to a network.

  Therefore, in recent years, for example, by using a technology used on Ethernet (registered trademark) called Wake Up on LAN, a startup packet called Magic Packet is sent from one device on the network to another device. It is also possible to turn on the power of these devices.

JP 2000-195243 A

  However, for example, when a receiver connected to the network reserves a future program as a timer and records it on the recorder, the recorder can be turned on by Wake Up on LAN at the start of recording. After receiving, it is unknown how long it takes for the various application software of the recorder to start and reach a stable state. When performing the above operations, turn on the recorder in advance with a large margin (sending Magic Packet) If this is not done, the reserved program cannot be recorded properly.

  Also, for example, depending on the type of device connected to the network, the time from power-on to the stable state will vary, and in order to ensure the operation of various devices, set a sufficient margin in advance Although it is necessary to turn on the power, such a margin setting increases power consumption of the entire network system.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and enables various devices connected to a network to operate more reliably and perform power-on control capable of suppressing power consumption. Is.

  A first aspect of the present invention is a network system configured by connecting a first device that executes a predetermined process at a predetermined time by timer reservation and a second device via a network, The first device includes information on a power-on time, which is a time from when the activation of the second device is commanded to when the second device reaches a stable operating state. The power-on time information acquisition unit that is acquired from the above, and at the time set based on the timer reservation time and the power-on time, start-up command information for instructing start-up of the second device is sent to the network The second apparatus is configured to store information relating to the power-on time and information relating to the power-on time in the storage means in the network. Address information sending means for sending address information for specifying a storage position; and the start command information sent from the first device at a time set based on the timer reservation time and the power-on time. And a start command receiving unit that receives the start command information from the network. The start command receiving unit receives the start command information from the network.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, the power is turned on from the time when the first device is instructed to start the second device until the second device is in a stable operating state. Information relating to time is acquired from the second device, and at the time set based on the timer reservation time and the power-on time, start command information for instructing start of the second device is Sent to the network. The second device stores information related to the power-on time, and sends address information specifying a storage location of the information related to the power-on time to the network. The timer reservation time and the power-on time are transmitted. When the activation command information sent from the first device is received at a time set based on the time and the activation command information is received from the network, execution of a process for starting itself is started. The

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus that is connected to another apparatus via a network and executes a predetermined process at a predetermined time by a timer reservation, and the activation of the other apparatus is instructed. Information about a power-on time, which is a time from when the other device reaches a stable operating state, to obtain from the other device a power-on time information acquisition unit, the timer reservation time, and the power-on An information processing apparatus comprising start command information sending means for sending start command information for instructing start of the other device to the network at a time set based on time.

  The other device communicates via the network with a protocol defined by UPnP (Universal Plug and Play), and the power-on time information acquisition unit acquires information about the power-on time according to the protocol. Can be.

  The information on the power-on time is information defined by UPnP, and can be described by a predetermined tag in the Device Description information of the other device.

  When storing information specifying the other device and storing information specifying the other device, address information specifying the storage location of the information related to the power-on time inside the other device is acquired. It can be memorized.

  The recording process can be executed at the time of the recording reservation as the timer reservation.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing method for an information processing apparatus that is connected to another apparatus via a network and executes a predetermined process at a predetermined time by timer reservation. Information from the other device is acquired from the other device, and the timer reservation time and the power-on time are obtained. An information processing method including a step of sending start command information for instructing start of the other device to the network at a time set based on the start time.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus for connecting a computer to another apparatus via a network and executing a predetermined process at a predetermined time by timer reservation, wherein the other apparatus is activated. A power-on time information acquisition unit that acquires information about a power-on time, which is a time from when the command is issued until the other device reaches a stable operation state, from the other device; A program for causing an information processing apparatus to function as an information processing apparatus including a start command information sending unit for sending start command information to the network at a time set based on the power-on time. .

  In the second aspect of the present invention, the information related to the power-on time, which is the time from when the start of the other device is commanded until the other device reaches a stable operation state, The start command information for instructing the start of the other device is transmitted to the network at a time set based on the timer reservation time and the power-on time.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus that is connected to another apparatus that executes a predetermined process at a predetermined time by a timer reservation through a network and is activated by a command sent from the other apparatus. Storage means for storing information related to the power-on time, which is a time from when the activation is commanded to a stable operation state, and storage of information relating to the power-on time in the storage means in the network Address information sending means for sending address information for specifying the position, and the start command information sent from the other device at a time set based on the timer reservation time and the power-on time Start command receiving means, and when the start command receiving means receives the start command information from the network, It is an information processing apparatus to start.

  The information related to the power-on time is information defined by UPnP (Universal Plug and Play), and can be described by a predetermined tag in Device Description information.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided information on an information processing apparatus that is connected to another apparatus that executes a predetermined process at a predetermined time by a timer reservation via a network and that is activated by a command transmitted from the other apparatus. A processing method for storing information relating to the power-on time, which is a time from when the activation is commanded until reaching a stable operation state, in a storage means, and in the network, the power-on time in the storage means Address information for specifying the storage location of information related to, receiving the start command information sent from the other device at a time set based on the timer reservation time and the power-on time, When the activation command information is received from the network, the information processing method starts execution of a process for activating itself.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing in which a computer is connected to another device that executes a predetermined process at a predetermined time by timer reservation through a network and is activated by a command sent from the other device. A storage means for storing information relating to the power-on time, which is a time from the start-up command to a stable operating state, and the network relating to the power-on time in the storage means Address information sending means for sending address information for specifying a storage location of information, and the start command information sent from the other device at a time set based on the timer reservation time and the power-on time A start command receiving means for receiving the start command information when the start command receiving means receives the start command information from the network. A program to function as the information processing apparatus to start execution of the process of moving.

  In the third aspect of the present invention, information related to the power-on time, which is a time from when the activation is commanded to a state of stable operation, is stored in the storage means, and in the network, in the storage means Address information for specifying the storage location of the information related to the power-on time is transmitted, and the start command information transmitted from the other device at a time set based on the timer reservation time and the power-on time Is received and the activation command information is received from the network, the execution of the process of starting itself is started.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the power-on control which can operate various apparatuses connected to the network more reliably and can suppress power consumption can be performed.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. Correspondences between the constituent elements of the present invention and the embodiments described in the specification or the drawings are exemplified as follows. This description is intended to confirm that the embodiments supporting the present invention are described in the specification or the drawings. Therefore, even if there is an embodiment which is described in the specification or the drawings but is not described here as an embodiment corresponding to the constituent elements of the present invention, that is not the case. It does not mean that the form does not correspond to the constituent requirements. Conversely, even if an embodiment is described herein as corresponding to a configuration requirement, that means that the embodiment does not correspond to a configuration requirement other than the configuration requirement. It's not something to do.

  The network system according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a first device (for example, the receiver 21 in FIG. 1) that executes a predetermined process at a predetermined time by timer reservation, and a second device (for example, in FIG. 1). A network system configured by being connected to a recorder 41) via a network, wherein the first device operates stably after the second device is commanded to start. A power-on time information acquisition unit (for example, the power-on time information acquisition unit 131 in FIG. 3) that acquires information related to the power-on time, which is the time until reaching the state, from the second device, and the timer reservation At the time set based on the time and the power-on time, the start command information sending means for sending the start command information for commanding the second device to the network (for example, the power supply in FIG. 3). And the second device includes storage means (for example, the memory 51 in FIG. 1) for storing information related to the power-on time, and the network includes the power-on time in the storage means. Address information transmission means (for example, the controller 42 in FIG. 1) for transmitting address information (for example, URL) for specifying the storage location of information related to the information, and the timer reservation time and the power-on time. A start command receiving means (for example, the network interface 44 in FIG. 1) for receiving the start command information sent from the first device at a time, and the start command receiving means sends the start command information to the start command information; When it is received from the network, it starts executing the process for starting itself.

  An information processing apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is connected to another apparatus (for example, the recorder 41 in FIG. 1) via a network, and executes an information processing apparatus (executed at a predetermined time by timer reservation) ( For example, in the receiver 21) of FIG. 1, information on the power-on time, which is the time from when the activation of the other device is commanded until the other device reaches a stable operation state, At the time set based on the power-on time information acquisition unit (for example, the power-on time information acquisition unit 131 in FIG. 3) acquired from the device of FIG. A start command information sending means (for example, the power-on control unit 132 in FIG. 3) for sending start command information for commanding the device to the network is provided.

  In this information processing apparatus, the information related to the power-on time is information defined by UPnP (Universal Plug and Play), and a predetermined tag (for example, in the Device Description information of the other apparatus) The tag may be described by a tag in the area 101 in FIG.

  The information processing apparatus stores information for specifying the other apparatus, and stores information for specifying the other apparatus (for example, when executing SSDP). It is possible to acquire and store address information for specifying the storage position of the information related to.

  The information processing method according to the second aspect of the present invention is an information processing apparatus (for example, a recorder 41 in FIG. 1) connected via a network and executing a predetermined process at a predetermined time by timer reservation ( For example, in the information processing method of the receiver 21) in FIG. 1, information on the power-on time, which is the time from when the activation of the other device is commanded until the other device reaches a stable operation state Is acquired from the other device (for example, the processing in steps S11 to S14 in FIG. 4), and the other device is activated at a time set based on the timer reservation time and the power-on time. It includes a step of sending start command information to be commanded to the network (for example, processing in steps S51 to S57 in FIG. 5).

  The information processing apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention is connected to another apparatus (for example, the receiver 21 in FIG. 1) that executes a predetermined process at a predetermined time by timer reservation via the network. An information processing apparatus that is activated in response to a command sent from the storage unit that stores information related to the power-on time, which is the time from when the activation is commanded to when it is stably operated (for example, FIG. 1) Memory 51) and address information transmission means (for example, controller 42 in FIG. 1) for transmitting address information (for example, URL) for specifying the storage location of the information related to the power-on time in the storage means to the network. Activating to receive the activation command information sent from the other device at a time set based on the timer reservation time and the power-on time Decree receiving means (e.g., a network interface 44 in FIG. 1) and a said start command receiving means, when receiving the activation command information from the network, it starts execution of the processing for starting the own.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a network system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The network system 10 is, for example, a network system composed of devices that conform to the specifications of UPnP (Universal Plug and Play).

  In the example of FIG. 1, a receiver 21 and a recorder 41 are connected to the network system 10 via a network 11. The network 11 is a local area network such as Ethernet (registered trademark).

  The network system 10 is a network system capable of viewing and recording content using the receiver 21 and the recorder 41, for example. For example, the user of the network system 10 can make a recording reservation for a predetermined program by performing a predetermined operation on the receiver 21 with a remote controller (not shown). In this case, the recorder 41 does not receive and record the broadcasted program, but receives the program once broadcasted by the receiver 21, and the recorder 41 records the program received by the receiver 21. And

  The receiver 21 is configured, for example, as an STB (set-top box) and has a tuner 22 inside. For example, the tuner 22 uses a predetermined compression encoding method such as MPEG2 for content data. Receives and decodes a digital broadcast signal broadcast by being compressed and encoded by. The receiver 21 transmits image or audio data obtained by decoding the digital broadcast signal as content data to the network 11 as necessary.

  The receiver 21 further includes a control unit 23, a timer 24, and a network interface 25.

  The control unit 23 includes, for example, a processor and a memory, and controls each unit of the receiver 21 based on a program installed in advance. Moreover, the control part 23 acquires the information regarding the time measured by the timer 24 as needed, and performs the process based on time.

  The network interface 25 sends data supplied from the tuner 22 or the control unit 23 to the network 11 via a bus or the like inside the receiver 21, and receives data sent to the network 11 to receive the data received by the receiver 21. It is designed to output to the internal bus.

  For example, the recorder 41 is configured as an HDD recorder, a DVD recorder, or the like. When the recorder 41 records a program (content), the content data transmitted from the receiver 21 is received and recorded in the internal storage 43. Has been made. The storage 43 is configured as, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), or the like.

  The recorder 41 further includes a controller 42 and a network interface 44.

  The controller 42 includes a processor, a memory, and the like, and controls each unit of the recorder 41 based on a program installed in advance.

  The network interface 44 sends the data supplied from the controller 42 or the storage 43 via the internal bus of the recorder 41 to the network 11, and receives the data sent to the network 11 to receive the data of the recorder 41. It is designed to output to an internal bus.

  The network interface 44 is configured to operate with a relatively small amount of power. The controller 42 is configured to operate in a power saving mode that consumes a relatively small amount of power and a normal mode that consumes a relatively large amount of power. For the user, the controller 42 is switched to the normal mode. In this case, it can be felt that the power of the recorder 41 is turned on.

  For example, in the power saving mode, the controller 42 operates corresponding to only a predetermined signal supplied from the network interface 44. In the normal mode, the controller 42 executes various application programs and the like, and supplies power to the storage 43 to control processing such as writing data to the storage 43 or reading data from the storage 43. It is made to do.

  That is, in the power saving mode, the recorder 41 cannot perform recording (recording) and playback of content data. When recording (recording) and playback of content data, the recorder 41 switches to the normal mode in advance. It is necessary to keep.

  For example, the controller 42 is configured to send a URL (Uniform Resource Locator), which is address information for specifying information stored in the internal memory 51, to the network 11 as necessary.

  In the receiver 21, for example, the control unit 23 receives a reservation for receiving a program (content) to be broadcast in the future based on a user operation. When receiving a reservation for receiving the program, the control unit 23 detects the broadcast start time and the broadcast end time of the reserved program based on the time information timed by the timer 24, and sets the reserved broadcast time zone. The content broadcast on a predetermined broadcast channel is received.

  Reservation for receiving a program (content) to be broadcast in the future may be accepted, for example, by inputting a channel on which a desired program is broadcast, a broadcast start time, and a broadcast end time. Alternatively, based on information related to a program specified by searching an EPG (Electronic Program Guide), a channel on which the program is broadcast, a broadcast start time, a broadcast end time, and the like are automatically input. May be.

  Further, the control unit 23 is configured to accept a program recording reservation based on, for example, a user operation.

  When receiving a reservation for recording a program, the control unit 23 specifies a device for executing the recording process. That is, since the receiver 21 can receive a program but cannot record it, for example, a recorder 41 is specified as a device for executing the recording process. It is assumed that information for specifying the recorder 41 (for example, the IP address of the recorder 41) is registered in advance in the internal memory or the like of the control unit 23 as a device that can execute the recording process.

  Further, when receiving a reservation for recording a program, the control unit 23 detects the broadcast start time and the broadcast end time of the reserved program based on the time information counted by the timer 24, and the reserved broadcast time. In addition to receiving content broadcast on a predetermined broadcast channel, data of the received content is transmitted to the recorder 41 via the network 11. Further, when receiving a reservation for recording a program, the control unit 23 transmits data corresponding to a command for operating the controller 42 of the recorder 41 in the normal mode to the recorder 41 via the network 11. ing.

  The data corresponding to the command for operating the controller 42 of the recorder 41 in the normal mode is, for example, a startup packet called Magic Packet defined by a protocol used on Ethernet (registered trademark) called Wake Up on LAN. Packets are used.

  That is, when receiving a reservation for recording a program, the receiver 21 transmits a Magic Packet to the recorder 41 in advance to switch the operation mode so that the recorder 41 can record content data, for example. The content data is transmitted to the recorder 41.

  The specifications of Wake Up on LAN and Magic Packet are disclosed by AMD (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc) and are disclosed in detail, for example, at the following URL on the Internet.

http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/white_papers_and_tech_docs/20213.pdf

  Wake Up on LAN and Magic Packet are described as examples of data corresponding to a command for operating the controller 42 of the recorder 41 in the normal mode, and Wake Up on LAN and Magic Packet are not used. In any case, it is possible to implement the present invention.

  Even if the Magic Packet is transmitted from the receiver 21, a predetermined time is required until the recorder 41 is switched from the power saving mode to the normal mode. That is, the controller 42 of the recorder 41 can execute a predetermined application program, supply power to the storage 43, and stably control data writing to the storage 43 or data reading from the storage 43. A predetermined time is required until As described above, when the recorder 41 is switched from the power saving mode to the normal mode, the user feels that the power of the recorder 41 is turned on (turned on). The time required to switch to the normal mode will be referred to as power-on time.

  The receiver 21 that has received a program recording reservation needs to transmit data corresponding to a command for operating the controller 42 of the recorder 41 in the normal mode in consideration of the power-on time of the recorder 41. Almost simultaneously with the transmission of the received content data, even if the data corresponding to the command for operating the controller 42 of the recorder 41 in the normal mode is transmitted, the recorder 41 is ready to record the content data. This is because, for example, it takes a power-on time, and for example, it becomes impossible to record the beginning part of the content.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the receiver 21 acquires information related to the power-on time of the recorder 41 from the recorder 41 in advance, and based on the power-on time, for example, before the broadcast start time of the content (program), A Magic Packet is transmitted to the recorder 41.

In the present invention, the information related to the power-on time of the recorder 41 is information for defining, for example, the type of device (Device Type) defined by UPnP and included in the information called “Device Description”. To be. The “Device Description” is disclosed in detail in the document “Basic: 1.0 Device Definition Version 1.0 For UPnP ^™ Version 1.0” of the organization “UPnP FORUM” which creates UPnP specifications.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of “Device Description” described as an XML sentence. In the present invention, a tag representing information related to the power-on time of the recorder 41 is inserted into “Device Description” described as an XML sentence. In this example, a tag representing information related to the power-on time is inserted in the area 101.

  That is, “<wakeuptime> wakeuptime </ wakeuptime>” is described in the area 101 of FIG. This represents information related to the power-on time with a tag “<wakeuptime>”, and the actual power-on time of the recorder 41 is described in the “wakeuptime” portion in the center of the area 101.

  For example, when the power-on time of the recorder 41 is 3 minutes, the area 101 in FIG. 2 is actually described as “<wakeuptime> 3min </ wakeuptime>”.

  The “Device Description” described as an XML sentence in this way is stored in, for example, the memory 51 inside the controller 42 of the recorder 41, and an address for specifying the storage location of “Device Description” in the memory 51. The recorder 41 sends an information URL (Uniform Resource Locator) to the network 11 as necessary.

  For example, when the recorder 41 is connected to the network 11 and is operated in the normal mode, this URL is multicast on the network 11 according to a protocol called SSDP (Simple Service Discover Protocol) defined by UPnP. Has been made. At this time, other UPnP devices (for example, the receiver 21) connected to the network 11 have the URL of the address information for specifying the storage location of “Device Description” along with the information for specifying the recorder 41, etc. Sent.

  Details of SSDP are disclosed in the UPnP FORUM document “UPnP Device Architecture 1.0” and the like.

  Alternatively, the above-described multicast according to SSDP is performed in accordance with an operation for registering a recorder capable of recording content data with respect to the receiver 21, and the URL of “Device Description” of the recorder 41 is given to the receiver 21. It may be transmitted.

  Thus, in the present invention, since a predetermined tag is inserted in the “Device Description” to describe the power-on time, a special function is added to the receiver 21 or the recorder 41, or a special function is added. Thus, it is possible to specify the power-on time without executing any processing.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of software such as a program executed by the control unit 23 of the receiver 21.

  In the figure, a power-on time information acquisition unit 131 acquires information related to the power-on time of other devices.

  For example, when the above-described SSDP multicast is performed, the power-on time information acquisition unit 131 acquires a URL included in a multicast packet transmitted from another device (for example, the recorder 41). URLs are stored in association with IDs for identifying devices. Then, the power-on time information acquisition unit 131 appropriately accesses the acquired URL to acquire information on the power-on time of the device, and stores the power-on time in association with an ID that identifies the device. . Note that, for example, an IP address may be used as the ID for identifying the device.

  The power-on time information acquisition unit 131 controls the receiver 21 so as to perform such processing.

  The power-on control unit 132 controls power-on of other devices based on a preset reservation or command.

  The power-on control unit 132, for example, based on information on a reservation (for example, recording reservation) set in itself and information on the power-on time acquired by the power-on time information acquisition unit 131, for example, other devices (for example, The time when the recorder 41) should be activated is specified. That is, for example, the power-on control unit 132 specifies the time at which the recorder 41 should start recording based on the recording reservation information set for itself, and is acquired by the power-on time information acquisition unit 131. The power-on time of the recorder 41 is specified and an appropriate margin is set. This margin may be the same as the power-on time. Then, the time at which the recorder 41 should be started is specified as the time at which the recorder 41 should be activated in consideration of the margin described above.

  The power-on control unit 132 also determines, for example, based on time information supplied from the timer 24 whether the current time is a time for starting the recorder 41, and the current time is a time for starting the recorder 41. If it is determined, the above-described Magic Packet is transmitted to the network 11 to activate the recorder 41.

  The power-on control unit 132 controls the receiver 21 so as to perform such processing.

  Next, the power-on time information acquisition process by the receiver 21 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This process is executed, for example, when the recorder 41 is connected to the network 11 and is operated in the normal mode. Alternatively, this processing may be executed in accordance with an operation for registering a recorder capable of recording content data with respect to the receiver 21.

  In step S11, the power-on time information acquisition unit 131 acquires, for example, the URL included in the above-described SSDP multicast packet transmitted from the recorder 41, and associates it with an ID that identifies the device. And memorize the URL.

  In step S12, the power-on time information acquisition unit 131 accesses the URL acquired in the process of step S11 and analyzes information for defining a device type (Device Type) stored in the URL. To do. The information analyzed at this time is, for example, “Device Description” in FIG. 2 described above.

  In step S13, the power-on time information acquisition unit 131 acquires information regarding the power-on time. At this time, for example, the power-on time of the recorder 41 described by the tag “<wakeuptime>” in the area 101 of FIG. 2 is acquired.

  In step S <b> 14, the power-on time information acquisition unit 131 stores the power-on time of the recorder 41 acquired in the process of step S <b> 13 in association with an ID that identifies the recorder 41.

  In this way, the power-on time of the recorder 41 is acquired and stored. If a device other than the recorder 41 is connected to the network 11, the power-on time of the device is acquired in the same manner. For example, a table in which the ID of each device is associated with the power-on time is stored in a memory or the like inside the control unit 23.

  The example in FIG. 4 has been described on the assumption that the processes in steps S11 to S14 are executed continuously. For example, after the process in step S11 is executed, the processes in steps S12 to S14 are performed at a necessary timing. It may be executed in the above.

  Next, the power-on control process by the receiver 21 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This process is executed, for example, when the receiver 21 accepts a program recording reservation based on a user operation.

  In step S <b> 51, the power-on control unit 132 specifies the activation target device based on the recording reservation information set in the receiver 21. Here, it is assumed that the recorder 41 is specified as the activation target device.

  In step S52, the power-on control unit 132 identifies the power-on time of the activation target device. At this time, for example, the power-on control unit 132 acquires the power-on time of the recorder 41 stored by the process of step S14 in FIG.

  In step S53, the power-on control unit 132 sets an appropriate margin based on the power-on time specified by the process in step S52. The margin may be the same as the power-on time.

  In step S54, the power-on control unit 132 specifies the time when the recorder 41 should start recording based on the recording reservation information set in the receiver 21, and sets the time when the recorder 41 should start recording. Then, the packet transmission time for transmitting the activation packet to the recorder 41 is set in consideration of the margin set in the process of step S53. Here, the activation packet is, for example, the above-described Magic Packet.

  That is, the time at which the recorder 41 is to be activated (the time at which the recorder 41 is to be commanded) is set as the packet transmission time.

  For example, it is assumed that the power-on time described in “Device Description” of the recorder 41 is 3 minutes, and the margin is set to 3 minutes in the process of step S53. Now, when the recording reservation of the program broadcast from 8:00 pm is set in the receiver 21, the packet transmission time is set to 7:57 pm in step S54.

  In step S55, the power-on control unit 132 checks the time information of the timer 24. Thereby, the current time is specified.

  In step S56, the power-on control unit 132 determines whether or not the current time obtained as a result of the process in step S55 is the packet transmission time set in the process in step S54. If it is determined that it is not the sending time, the process returns to step S55. In this way, the processes in steps S55 and S56 are repeatedly executed until it is determined that the current time is the packet transmission time.

  If it is determined in step S56 that the current time is the packet transmission time, the process proceeds to step S57.

  In step S57, the power-on control unit 132 sends an activation packet to the activation target device specified in the process of step S51. At this time, for example, a Magic Packet in which the MAC address of the recorder 41 is described is transmitted from the network interface 25 of the receiver 21 to the network 11.

  When the Magic Packet transmitted in step S57 is acquired by the network interface 44 of the recorder 41, the network interface 44 supplies a predetermined signal set in advance to the controller 42, and the controller 42 changes from the power saving mode to the normal mode. Can be switched to. After that, for 3 minutes, which is the power-on time of the recorder 41, the controller 42 executes various application programs and the like, supplies power to the storage 43, writes data to the storage 43, or reads data from the storage 43. It operates so that processing such as data reading can be executed.

  For example, when a Magic Packet is acquired by the network interface 44 of the recorder 41 at 7:57 pm, the operation of the controller 42 is started. At 8 pm, data is written into the storage 43 or from the storage 43. Processing such as data reading can be executed. Then, at 8:00 pm, which is the broadcast start time of the program reserved for recording, the content data is transmitted from the receiver 21 via the network 11, and the recorder 41 receives the content data transmitted via the network 11. It will be recorded in the storage 43.

  In this way, power-on of the recorder 41 (actually switching from the power saving mode to the normal mode) is controlled.

  Conventionally, it was possible to start the target device by sending a Magic Packet, but it is unknown how long it takes for the target device to reach a stable state after receiving the Magic Packet, with a large margin. Unless Magic Packet was sent to the target device in advance, the process intended by the user could not be executed.

  In addition, if a Magic Packet is sent in advance with a margin set, it is possible to cause the activation target device to execute a predetermined process, but the time until the activation target device reaches a stable state depends on the type of device. It depends on the. Therefore, for example, in order to ensure that all devices connected to the network operate reliably, it is necessary to set up a sufficiently large margin in advance to turn on the power in advance. Since there are devices with short time, setting a sufficiently large margin for such devices and turning on the power in advance leads to wasteful consumption of power, increasing cost burden and environmental load. .

  According to the present invention, the receiver 21 acquires the power-on time of the recorder 41 and sends a start command (for example, Magic Packet) to the recorder 41 in consideration of the power-on time. Therefore, it is possible to send an activation command to the activation target device in consideration of the time until the activation target device reaches a stable state after receiving the Magic Packet, and to ensure that the processing intended by the user is executed. it can.

  In the present invention, since the power-on time of the activation target device is acquired in advance and the activation command is sent in consideration of the power-on time, a margin corresponding to the activation target device is set. Will be. As a result, wasteful consumption of power is suppressed, and an increase in cost burden and environmental load can be suppressed.

  In the above, an example in which Magic Packet is transmitted as a start command to the recorder 41 that is a start target device has been described. However, as described above, the start command is not limited to Magic Packet. In short, it is only necessary that a start command that can be recognized by the recorder 41 is transmitted from the receiver 21.

  Further, in the above description, the case where the recording reservation is set in the receiver 21 has been described as an example. However, for example, in the processing in which the receiver 21 periodically checks the free capacity of the storage 43 of the recorder 41, etc. The invention can be applied.

  Moreover, in the above, the case where it performed between the receiver 21 and the recorder 41 was demonstrated as an example, However, It cannot be overemphasized that this invention is applicable also to processes other than the process performed between the receiver 21 and the recorder 41. FIG. Nor.

  Further, in the above description, the receiver 21 and the recorder 41 are described as devices that conform to the UPnP specification. However, the receiver 21 can reliably acquire the power-on time information of the recorder 41 according to a predetermined procedure. If present, the receiver 21 and the recorder 41 do not necessarily have to conform to UPnP specifications.

  In short, the present invention can be applied to the case where one device performs processing that requires another device connected to the network to be activated at a predetermined time.

  The series of processes described above can be executed by hardware, or can be executed by software. When the above-described series of processing is executed by software, a program constituting the software executes various functions by installing a computer incorporated in dedicated hardware or various programs. For example, a general-purpose personal computer 700 as shown in FIG. 6 is installed from a network or a recording medium.

  In FIG. 6, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 701 executes various processes according to a program stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory) 702 or a program loaded from a storage unit 708 to a RAM (Random Access Memory) 703. To do. The RAM 703 also appropriately stores data necessary for the CPU 701 to execute various processes.

  The CPU 701, ROM 702, and RAM 703 are connected to each other via a bus 704. An input / output interface 705 is also connected to the bus 704.

  The input / output interface 705 includes an input unit 706 including a keyboard and a mouse, a display including a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) and an LCD (Liquid Crystal display), an output unit 707 including a speaker, and a hard disk. A communication unit 709 including a storage unit 708, a network interface card such as a modem and a LAN card, and the like is connected. The communication unit 709 performs communication processing via a network including the Internet.

  A drive 710 is also connected to the input / output interface 705 as necessary, and a removable medium 711 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory is appropriately mounted, and a computer program read from them is loaded. It is installed in the storage unit 708 as necessary.

  When the above-described series of processing is executed by software, a program constituting the software is installed from a network such as the Internet or a recording medium such as a removable medium 711.

  The recording medium shown in FIG. 6 is a magnetic disk (including a floppy disk (registered trademark)) on which a program is recorded, which is distributed to distribute the program to the user separately from the apparatus main body. Removable media consisting of optical disks (including CD-ROM (compact disk-read only memory), DVD (digital versatile disk)), magneto-optical disks (including MD (mini-disk) (registered trademark)), or semiconductor memory It includes not only those configured by 711 but also those configured by a ROM 702 storing a program, a hard disk included in the storage unit 708, and the like that are distributed to the user in a state of being incorporated in the apparatus main body in advance.

  Note that the steps of executing the series of processes described above in this specification are performed in parallel or individually even if they are not necessarily processed in time series, as well as processes performed in time series in the order described. The processing to be performed is also included.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the network system which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the XML sentence memorize | stored in the memory of the recorder of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structural example of the software performed by the control part of FIG. It is a flowchart explaining the example of a power-on time information acquisition process. It is a flowchart explaining a power-on control process. And FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a personal computer.

Explanation of symbols

  10 network system, 11 network, 21 receiver, 22 tuner, 23 control unit, 24 timer, 25 network interface, 41 recorder, 42 controller, 43 storage, 44 network interface, 51 memory, 131 power-on time information acquisition unit, 132 power supply Input control unit

Claims (13)

A network system configured by connecting a first device that executes a predetermined process at a predetermined time by a timer reservation and a second device via a network,
The first device includes:
Power-on time information for acquiring from the second device information related to the power-on time, which is the time from when the second device is commanded to start until the second device reaches a stable operating state. An acquisition unit;
Start command information sending means for sending start command information for instructing start of the second device to the network at a time set based on the timer reservation time and the power-on time; and
The second device includes:
Storage means for storing information relating to the power-on time;
Address information sending means for sending address information for specifying a storage position of information relating to the power-on time in the storage means to the network;
Start command receiving means for receiving the start command information sent from the first device at a time set based on the timer reservation time and the power-on time;
A network system that starts execution of a process for starting itself when the start command receiving means receives the start command information from the network. An information processing apparatus connected to another apparatus via a network and executing a predetermined process at a predetermined time by timer reservation,
A power-on time information acquisition unit that acquires information about a power-on time, which is a time from when the activation of the other device is commanded to a state in which the other device stably operates, from the other device; ,
An information processing apparatus comprising: start command information sending means for sending start command information for instructing start of the other device to the network at a time set based on the timer reservation time and the power-on time . Communicates with the other devices via the network by a protocol defined by UPnP (Universal Plug and Play)
The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the power-on time information acquisition unit acquires information regarding the power-on time according to the protocol. Information on the power-on time is
The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the information is defined by UPnP and is described by a predetermined tag in Device Description information of the other apparatus. Storing information identifying the other device;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when storing information specifying the other apparatus, address information specifying a storage position of information related to the power-on time inside the other apparatus is acquired and stored. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a recording process is executed at a time when recording is reserved as the timer reservation. An information processing method of an information processing apparatus that is connected to another apparatus via a network and executes a predetermined process at a predetermined time by timer reservation,
Obtaining information about the power-on time, which is the time from when the activation of the other device is commanded to when the other device reaches a stable operation state, from the other device,
An information processing method including a step of sending start command information for instructing start of the other device to the network at a time set based on the timer reservation time and the power-on time. Computer
An information processing apparatus connected to another apparatus via a network and executing a predetermined process at a predetermined time by timer reservation,
A power-on time information acquisition unit that acquires information about a power-on time, which is a time from when the activation of the other device is commanded to a state in which the other device stably operates, from the other device; ,
An information processing apparatus comprising start command information sending means for sending start command information for starting the other device to the network at a time set based on the timer reservation time and the power-on time A program that functions as An information processing apparatus that is connected to another apparatus that executes a predetermined process at a predetermined time by a timer reservation via a network and is activated by a command sent from the other apparatus,
Storage means for storing information relating to the power-on time, which is the time from the start is commanded to the state of stable operation;
Address information sending means for sending address information for specifying a storage position of information relating to the power-on time in the storage means to the network;
An activation command receiving means for receiving the activation command information sent from the other device at a time set based on the timer reservation time and the power-on time;
When the activation command receiving unit receives the activation command information from the network, the information processing apparatus starts execution of a process for activating itself. Information on the power-on time is
The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, which is information defined by UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) and is described by a predetermined tag in Device Description information. An information processing method for an information processing apparatus that is connected to another apparatus that executes a predetermined process at a predetermined time by timer reservation via a network and is activated by a command transmitted from the other apparatus,
Storing in the storage means information relating to the power-on time, which is the time from the start is commanded to the state of stable operation;
Sending to the network address information specifying the storage location of the information related to the power-on time in the storage means,
At the time set based on the timer reservation time and the power-on time, the start command information sent from the other device is received,
An information processing method for starting execution of a process for starting itself when the start command information is received from the network. Computer
An information processing apparatus that is connected to another apparatus that executes a predetermined process at a predetermined time by a timer reservation via a network and is activated by a command sent from the other apparatus,
Storage means for storing information relating to the power-on time, which is the time from the start is commanded to the state of stable operation;
Address information sending means for sending address information for specifying a storage position of information relating to the power-on time in the storage means to the network;
An activation command receiving means for receiving the activation command information sent from the other device at a time set based on the timer reservation time and the power-on time;
A program that causes the start command receiving means to function as an information processing device that starts executing a process for starting itself when the start command information is received from the network.   A recording medium on which the program according to claim 8 or 12 is recorded.

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