JP2010252038A - Content management apparatus, and content management method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide automatic backup of content by a simple method almost without reworking the existing device. <P>SOLUTION: A backup server performs a VPN establishment phase with an HGW for controlling communication between the terminal equipment of the home and the outside equipment of the home connected by a home network, and establishes a VPN with the home network. After the establishment of the VPN, the backup server uses an apparatus discovery function in the home network by an SMB (Server Message Block) and a DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) to discover a digital household electrical appliance and a PC in the home network, and requests the discovered digital household electrical appliance and the PC to transmit content. Then, the backup server stores the content transmitted from the digital household electrical appliance and the PC. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a content management apparatus and a content management method.

  In recent years, many techniques for sharing content such as media data held by users have been proposed.

  For example, Non-Patent Document 1 proposes a technique for connecting media data directly from a digital camera to the Internet via a wireless LAN and storing media data captured by the digital camera in a site installed on the Internet.

  Non-Patent Document 2 proposes a technology that enables backup of files on the Internet, and transfer and sharing of backed up files.

  Non-Patent Document 3 proposes a technology for backing up content between digital home appliances connected to each other based on the standard of “DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance)”. For example, when the free space of the HDD recorder falls below a certain value, after the content in the HDD recorder is backed up by the media server in the home network, the free space on the HDD recorder is deleted by deleting the content on the HDD recorder. Increase.

  As described above, there is a technique for backing up contents between digital devices mutually connected to a home LAN by DLNA.

“Release of Nikon Digital Camera“ COOLPIX S51c ”and Launch of“ my Picturetown ”Image Storage / Sharing Site”, “online”, August 30, 2007, [February 3, 2009 Search], Internet <URL: http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/jpn/whatsnew/2007/0830_s51c_03.htm> “506506.ntt.com”, [online], [Search February 3, 2009], Internet <URL: http://506506.ntt.com/internet/cocoa/> "DiXiM DMA is compatible with Sigma Designs' EM8622L and SMP8634, and a 4.0 version model with a next-generation user interface will be exhibited at CES", [online], January 9, 2007, [February 2009 3 days search], Internet <URL: http://www.digion.com/pf/news/20070109a.htm>

  However, the above-described conventional technology has problems as described below. That is, the technique proposed in Non-Patent Document 1 has a problem that a user's digital camera or the like requires a file upload function and creation and setting of an upload destination.

  In addition, the technique proposed in Non-Patent Document 2 has a problem that it is necessary for the user to perform a manual operation or to install a backup tool in a computer owned by the user in advance in order to execute file backup.

  In addition, the technique proposed in Non-Patent Document 3 has a problem that content can be backed up only between devices in the same home network.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a content management apparatus and a content management method capable of realizing automatic content backup by a simple method with little modification to an existing apparatus. And

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the present invention is a content management device that manages content held by each in-home device connected to a LAN, and has a predetermined connection with the LAN. Communication path establishment means for establishing a communication path from an external network at a timing, and detecting each of the in-home devices via the communication path established by the communication path establishment means, and the content for each detected in-home device Content requesting means for requesting transmission of the content, and content storage means for storing content received from each home device in response to a request from the content requesting device in a storage unit for each home device. To do.

  According to the present invention, automatic backup of contents can be realized by a simple method with little modification to an existing apparatus.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the backup server according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the backup server according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a user information table according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a device information table according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a content information table according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a process flow when the L2VPN is established in the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a detailed flow of content storage according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a process flow when the L3VPN is established in the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining content reacquisition according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining content reacquisition according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a computer that executes a content management program.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a content management apparatus and a content management method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following, Example 1 will be described as an embodiment of a backup server corresponding to the content management apparatus, and the present invention is not limited to Example 1.

  In the first embodiment described below, the outline and features of the backup server according to the first embodiment, the configuration of the backup server, and the processing according to the first embodiment will be described in order, and finally the effects of the first embodiment will be described.

  The outline of the backup server according to the first embodiment is to manage content held by each home device (digital home appliance or personal computer) connected to the home network.

  The feature of the backup server according to the first embodiment is that the VPN is established with the home network, the content is acquired from the in-home device using the existing protocol used between the in-home devices, It is characterized in that the acquired content is stored (that is, a PULL type backup service triggered by a server is realized).

  The features described above will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the backup server according to the first embodiment. As shown in the figure, the backup server according to the first embodiment executes a VPN establishment phase between an in-home device connected via a home network and an HGW (home gateway) that controls communication between outside the home, A VPN is established with the network (see (1) in FIG. 1).

  That is, by establishing a VPN with the home network, the backup server according to the first embodiment is made to recognize other home devices as if it were a part of the home device in the home network. As a result, the backup server according to the first embodiment can be configured using the protocol for file sharing that has been used between the home devices as well as the storage of the content that has been executed between the home devices in the home network. Storage of content can be realized with in-home devices. As shown in the figure, the home device corresponds to a digital home appliance such as a media server or a digital camera, a PC (personal computer), or the like.

  After establishing the VPN, the backup server according to the first embodiment uses the device discovery function in the home network by SMB (Server Message Block) or DLNA to discover the digital home appliance or PC in the home network, and finds the found digital home appliance Request transmission of content from the device or PC (see (2) in FIG. 1). And the backup server which concerns on Example 1 preserve | saves the content transmitted from the digital household appliances and PC (refer (3) of the figure). FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the characteristics of the backup server according to the first embodiment.

  As described above, the backup server according to the first embodiment automatically establishes a VPN, and automatically backs up the content held by the in-home device in the home network, using the function of the existing device. For this reason, automatic backup of contents can be realized by a simple method with little modification to existing devices.

[Configuration of Backup Server (Example 1)]
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the backup server according to the first embodiment. As shown in the figure, the HGW 100, the media server 110, the digital camera 120, and the PC 130 that are configured to control communication between outside and inside the home using the backup server 200 are constructed based on DLNA. The home network 2 is connected in a communicable state.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the backup server 200 according to the first embodiment is in a state where it can be connected to a home network in a certain home via a network 1 configured by a public telephone network, a SIP network, the Internet, and the like. .

  The backup server 200 according to the first embodiment includes a communication control unit 210, a storage unit 220, and a control unit 230. The communication control unit 210 controls communication related to the exchange of data such as content performed with the home network 2.

  The storage unit 220 stores data, programs, and the like necessary for various processes performed by the control unit 230, and particularly includes a user information table 221, a device information table 222, and a content information table 223.

  The user information table 221 stores information about users who have a usage contract with the backup server 200. Specifically, when the user information table 221 establishes a VPN among at least the internal ID internally given by the backup server 200, the user ID uniquely given for each user, and the HGW 100 in the user's home. A VPN authentication information file (for example, a pre-shared key or a public key) used in the above is stored in advance in association with each other. The user name, the user IP address, and the user telephone number may be further stored in association with each other.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the user information table 221 includes an internal ID “100012”, a user ID “U1”, VPN authentication information “U1.key”, a user name “Den Taro”, The IP address “10.0.10.222” and the user's telephone number “0422-59-...” Are stored in association with each other. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a user information table according to the first embodiment.

  The device information table 222 stores information on in-home devices (media server 110, digital camera 120, and PC 130) in the home network 2. Specifically, the device information table 222 can uniquely identify the internal ID assigned internally by the backup server 200, the device ID uniquely assigned to each device in the home network 2, and the home device. UDN, a device name indicating a device name in the home network 2, an IP address assigned to a device in the home network 2, and a device image file indicating an image of the device in the home network 2 are stored in association with each other. is doing.

  For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the device information table 222 includes an internal ID “100012”, a device ID “1111”, a UDN “uuid: 95d ...- a284-cdcd-70c ...”, and a device name “FRIEND”. And the device IP address “192.168.0.22” and the device image file “/ U1 / image1” are stored in association with each other. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a device information table according to the first embodiment.

  The content information table 223 stores information related to content stored in the home devices (media server 110, digital camera 120, and PC 130) in the home network. Specifically, the content information table 223 stores a device ID, a content file type, a content name, a content storage file, and a content original address in association with each other.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the content information table 223 includes a device ID “1111”, a content file type “video / mpeg”, a content name “Kara movie”, and a content storage file “/ U1 / 1111 / iruka.mpg ”and the original address of the content“ http: //192.168.0.22.3001/iruka.mpg ”are stored in association with each other. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a content information table according to the first embodiment.

  The control unit 230 has an internal memory for storing a predetermined control program, a program defining various processing procedures, and necessary data, and executes various processes using these. The control unit 230 particularly includes a VPN establishment unit 231, a device / PC discovery function unit 232, and a content request unit 233.

  The VPN establishment unit 231 executes a VPN establishment phase with the HGW 100 in order to access the in-home device in the home network 2 at a predetermined time (or regular) set in advance.

  Specifically, the VPN establishment unit 231 transmits a VPN establishment request including VPN authentication information to the HGW 100 based on a protocol such as SSL (Secure Socket Layer) or IPsec (Security Architecture for Internet Protocol). To do. When the VPN establishment unit 231 receives a VPN establishment response from the HGW 100, the VPN establishment unit 231 establishes a VPN with the home gateway 100. After the VPN is established, the VPN establishment unit 231 acquires the IP address paid out from the HGW 100. The backup server 200 can access home devices (the media server 110, the digital camera 120, and the PC 130) in the home network 2 by using the IP acquired from the HGW 100.

  The VPN establishing unit 231 can establish either an L2VPN (Layer 2 Virtual Private Network) or an L3VPN (Layer 3 Virtual Private Network) as a VPN established with the HGW 100.

  The device / PC discovery function unit 232 finds a home device in the home network 2 and stores the data acquired from each home device in the storage unit 220. Specifically, the device / PC discovery function unit 232 multicasts a device discovery packet (SSDP: Simple Service Discovery Protocol) to discover the media server 110 and the digital camera 120 that are digital home appliances in the home network 2. To do.

  When device information (device IP address) transmitted from the media server 110 and the digital camera 120 is received as a response to the device discovery packet, the device / PC discovery function unit 232 transmits a device information request based on the device information. . When device information (UDN, device name, device image file, etc.) transmitted from the media server 110 and the digital camera 120 is received as a response to the device information request, the device / PC discovery function unit 232, based on the device information, Send a content information request.

  When the content information transmitted from the media server 110 and the digital camera 120 is received as a response to the content information request, the device / PC discovery function unit 232 associates the user information, device information, and content information with the storage unit 220. Each table (device information table 222 and content information table 223) is stored. For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, user information and device information are linked by an internal ID, and device information and content information are linked as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Save to. The content information is, for example, information listing contents stored in the home device, and includes a content file type, a content name, and an original address of the content.

  Further, the device / PC discovery function unit 232 multicasts a PC discovery packet (such as NetBIOS) in order to discover the PC 130 in the home network 2.

  When information such as an IP address and content information transmitted from the PC 130 is received as a response to the PC discovery packet, the device / PC discovery function unit 232 associates information such as user information, IP address, and content information with the storage unit. The information is stored in each table 220 (device information table 222 and content information table 223) of 220.

  The content request unit 233 acquires content from the home device discovered by the device / PC discovery function unit 232 and stores it in the storage unit 220. Specifically, when content information is received by device / PC discovery function unit 232, content request unit 233 unicasts the content request for each content in the content information. When the content request unit 233 receives the content (content file itself) transmitted from the home device (the media server 110, the digital camera 120, and the PC 130) as a response to the content request, the content request unit 233 stores the content in association with the content information table 223. To do.

[Processing according to Example 1]
Subsequently, a processing flow according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[Process when establishing L2VPN]
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a process flow when the L2VPN is established in the first embodiment. As shown in the figure, when the VPN establishment unit 231 of the backup server 200 reaches a predetermined time (or regular) set in advance, in order to access the in-home device in the home network 2, The VPN establishment phase is executed during (Step S1). After establishing the VPN, the HGW 100 issues an IP address to the backup server 200 (step S2).

  After receiving an IP address from the HGW 100, the device / PC discovery function unit 232 of the backup server 200 multicasts a device discovery packet (SSDP: Simple Service Discovery Protocol) for discovering a home device in the home network 2. (Step S3).

  Then, the media server 110 and the digital camera 120 that are in-home devices transmit device information, device information, and content information to the backup server 200 (step S4). When device information, device information, and content information are received from the media server 110, the digital camera 120, and the PC 130 that are home devices, the device / PC discovery function unit 232 associates the user information, device information, and content information with each other and stores the storage unit 220. (Step S5).

  Further, when the device / PC discovery function unit 232 receives the content information, the content request unit 233 unicasts the content request for each content in the content information (step S6). The media server 110, the digital camera 120, and the PC 130, which are in-home devices, respond to the backup server 200 with the content stored therein (step S7). When the content request unit 233 receives the content transmitted from the media server 110, the digital camera 120, and the PC 130 as a response to the content request, the content request unit 233 stores the content in the content information table 223 for each device (step S8).

  Further, as will be described below, it is possible to access the PC 130 in the home network 2 using a protocol such as “Net BIOS (Network Basic Input Output System)”. That is, the device / PC discovery function unit 232 multicasts a PC discovery packet based on NetBIOS in order to discover the PC 130 in the home network 2 (step S9). The PC 130, which is a home device, returns an IP address, content information, and the like to the backup server 200 (step S10).

  When information such as an IP address and content information transmitted from the PC 130 is received as a response to the PC discovery packet, the device / PC discovery function unit 232 associates information such as user information, IP address, and content information with the storage unit. Each table 220 (device information table 222 and content information table 223) of 220 is stored (step S11).

  Further, the content request unit 233 unicasts the content request for each content in the content information (step S12). The PC 130 that has received the content request responds to the backup server 200 with each content (step S13). Then, when the content request unit 233 receives each content transmitted from the PC 130 as a response to the content request, the content request unit 233 stores it in the content information table 223 (step S14).

[Details up to content backup]
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a detailed flow of content storage according to the first embodiment. In the figure, the flow until the content stored in the media server 110 is backed up is taken as an example.

  As illustrated in FIG. 7, the device / PC discovery function unit 232 of the backup server 200 detects a device discovery packet (SSDP: Simple) in order to discover the media server 110 and the digital camera 120 that are digital home appliances in the home network 2. Service Discovery Protocol is multicast (step S1).

  The media server 110 returns device information to the backup server 200 (step S2).

  When device information (device IP address) transmitted from the media server 110 is received as a response to the device discovery packet, the device / PC discovery function unit 232 transmits a device information request based on the device information (step S3). .

  The media server 110 returns device information (UDN, device name, device image file, etc.) to the backup server 200 (step S4).

  When device information (UDN, device name, device image file, etc.) transmitted from the media server 110 is received as a response to the device information request, the device / PC discovery function unit 232 makes a content information request based on the device information. Transmit (step S5).

  The media server 110 responds to the backup server 200 with content information (content file type, content name, content original address, etc.) (step S6).

  When the response of the content information transmitted from the media server 110 is received as a response to the content information request, the device / PC discovery function unit 232 associates the user information, the device information, and the content information with each table included in the storage unit 220. It is stored in (device information table 222 and content information table 223) (step S7).

  When the content information is received by the device / PC discovery function unit 232, the content request unit 233 of the backup server 200 unicasts the content request for each content in the content information (step S8).

  The media server 110 returns the content (content file itself) to the backup server 200 (step S9).

  When receiving the content (content file itself) transmitted from the media server 110 as a response to the content request, the content request unit 233 stores the content in association with the content information table 223 (step S10).

[Process when establishing L3VPN]
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a process flow when the L3VPN is established in the first embodiment. As shown in the figure, the flow of processing at the time of establishing L3VPN is basically the same as the processing at the time of establishing L2VPN described above with reference to FIG. 6, but differs in the points described below.

  When the HGW 100 receives a packet transmitted from the backup server 200 to the home network 2 and when a packet transmitted from the home network 2 to the backup server 200 is received, the HGW 100 transmits the transmission source, the destination IP address, and the content IP address. Are different in that they are converted and relayed (see step S3, step S5, step S8, step S10 and step S13 in FIG. 8). In DLNA, since an IP address assigned to content is described as content information, the content can be accessed from the backup server 200 by using the content IP address. The other processing is the same as the processing at the time of establishing the L2VPN described above, and a description thereof will be omitted.

[Effects of Example 1]
As described above, the backup server 200 establishes a VPN with the home network 2 and acquires content from the home device using the existing protocol used between the home devices. Stored content (that is, a PULL-type backup service triggered by a server is realized).

  For this reason, according to the first embodiment, automatic backup of content can be realized by a simple method with little modification to an existing apparatus.

  In the first embodiment, the content can be backed up by selecting any one of the in-home devices by setting the HGW 100 or the backup server 200 in advance or afterwards using the Web interface. it can.

  If the setting is made in the HGW 100, the information on the in-home device unnecessary for the backup server 200 is not transmitted, so that the content can be selectively backed up while maintaining the privacy of the user. If the backup server 200 is set, selective backup of content can be realized without further function addition to the HGW 100.

  In the first embodiment, the content to be backed up can be controlled by storing the content using an ID or password registered in advance. For example, when using SMB, it is possible to specify a folder or data to be shared explicitly by the user by performing authentication using a user ID or password. Therefore, by using this function, even when using SMB, the user can explicitly specify data to be backed up.

  Further, in the first embodiment, by using IDs (for example, telephone numbers, IP addresses, authentication IDs) used for network access from the backup server 200 to the HGW 100, a plurality of users (individually present in each home) It is also possible to implement automatic content backup for the user. It is also possible to back up only changed (or added) files.

  The content stored in the backup server 200 according to the first embodiment may be reacquired by the user. FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 are diagrams for explaining content reacquisition according to the second embodiment. For example, it is assumed that the VPN establishment phase (or authentication phase) is executed between the HGW 100 and the backup server 200 to establish the VPN (see (1) in FIG. 10).

  Then, the user using automatic backup selects a bookmark corresponding to the backup server 200 on the PC 130 (see (1) in FIG. 9) and accesses the top page of the backup server 200 (see (2) in FIG. 9). ). After access, the PC 130 transmits a content information request to the backup server 200 when receiving a selection of content redownload from the user using the pointing device function or the like (see (2) in FIG. 10).

  When the backup server 200 receives the content information request from the PC 130, the backup server 200 searches the content information with reference to the user information table 221, the device information table 222 and the content information table stored in the storage unit 220 ((( 3)). Then, as a result of the search, the backup server 200 transmits the content information acquired from the storage unit 220 to the PC 130 (see (4) in FIG. 10).

  Upon receiving the content information from the backup server 200, the PC 130 displays and outputs an icon or the like indicating the stored content on a display or the like (see (3) in FIG. 9). When the PC 130 receives a selection of content (for example, an image) desired to be reacquired from the user (see (4) in FIG. 9), the PC 130 transmits an acquisition request for the selected content to the backup server (FIG. 10). (See (5)).

  When receiving the content acquisition request from the PC 130, the backup server 200 reads the corresponding content from the content information table 223 and transmits it to the PC 130 (see (6) in FIG. 10). In this way, when the download of the content is completed on the user's PC 130, the content is reacquired by the user.

  In the case of re-acquiring backup data, in addition to the method of recognizing the backup server 200 as a DLNA server, a method of performing authentication by SMB, a method of using a Web interface, etc. It can be adopted. For example, a method of re-acquiring backup data by performing authentication using an ID or password, authentication using an IP address when establishing a VPN, or authentication using a user's telephone number is conceivable.

  Example 3 will be described below as another embodiment of the content management apparatus and content management method according to the present invention.

(1) Device Configuration, etc. Each component of the backup server 200 shown in FIG. 2 is functionally conceptual and does not necessarily need to be physically configured as illustrated. That is, the specific form of distribution / integration of the backup server 200 is not limited to that shown in the figure, and for example, the device / PC discovery function unit 232 and the content request unit 233 are integrated. As described above, all or a part of the backup server 200 can be configured to be functionally or physically distributed / integrated in an arbitrary unit according to various loads or usage conditions. Further, each processing function (refer to FIGS. 6 to 8, etc.) performed in the backup server 200 is realized by a CPU and a program that is analyzed and executed by the CPU, or wired. It can be realized as hardware by logic.

(2) Communication processing program Various processes (for example, refer to FIGS. 6 to 8) of the backup server 200 described in the first embodiment described above are carried out using a computer system such as a personal computer or a workstation. It can be realized by executing with. In the following, an example of a computer that executes a content management program having the same function as that of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a computer that executes a content management program.

  As shown in the figure, a computer 300 as a backup server 200 is configured by connecting a communication control unit 310, an HDD 320, a RAM 330 and a CPU 340 via a bus 400.

  Here, the communication control unit 310 controls communication related to the exchange of various types of information. The HDD 320 stores information necessary for executing various processes by the CPU 340. The RAM 330 temporarily stores various information. The CPU 340 executes various arithmetic processes.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the HDD 320 stores in advance a content management program 321 that performs the same function as each processing unit of the backup server 200 shown in the first embodiment and content management data 322. Has been. The content management program 321 may be appropriately distributed and stored in a storage unit of another computer that is communicably connected via a network.

  Then, the CPU 340 reads out the content management program 321 from the HDD 320 and develops it in the RAM 330, whereby the content management program 321 functions as a content management process 331 as shown in FIG. Then, the content management process 331 reads the content management data 322 and the like from the HDD 320, expands them in an area allocated to itself in the RAM 330, and executes various processes based on the expanded data and the like. The content management process 331 corresponds to processing executed in the control unit 230 (VPN establishment unit 231, device / PC discovery function unit 232, and content request unit 233) of the backup server 200 shown in FIG.

  The content management program 321 is not necessarily stored in the HDD 320 from the beginning. For example, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a magneto-optical disk, and an IC inserted into the computer 300 are not necessary. Each program is stored in a “portable physical medium” such as a card, or “another computer (or server)” connected to the computer 300 via a public line, the Internet, a LAN, a WAN, or the like. The computer 300 may read and execute each program from these.

(3) Content Management Method The following content management method is realized by the backup server 200 described in the first embodiment.

  That is, a communication path establishment step for establishing a communication path from an external network with a home LAN at a predetermined timing (see, for example, step S1 in FIG. 6), and a communication path established by the communication path establishment step A content requesting step for detecting each home device and requesting each detected home device to transmit content, and storing content received from each home device in response to a request in the content requesting step for each home device A content management method including a content storing step of storing in a section is realized.

  As described above, the content management device and the content management method according to the present invention are useful when managing content held by each home device (digital home appliance or personal computer) connected to the home network, In particular, it is suitable for realizing a PULL type backup service triggered by a server. In the backup service to be realized, it is possible to employ charging according to the backup amount, charging according to the backup frequency, charging according to the transfer amount of the backup file, and charging according to the number of backup devices.

1 network 2 home network 100 HGW
110 Media server 120 Digital camera 130 PC
200 Backup Server 210 Communication Control Unit 220 Storage Unit 221 User Information Table 222 Device Information Table 223 Content Information Table 230 Control Unit 231 VPN Establishment Unit 232 Device / PC Discovery Function Unit 233 Content Request Unit 300 Computer 310 Communication Control Unit 320 HDD (Hard Disk Drive)
321 Content management program 322 Content management data 330 RAM (Random Access Memory)
331 Content Management Process 340 CPU (Central Processing Unit)
400 bus

Claims (8)

A content management device that manages content held by each home device connected to a LAN,
Communication path establishing means for establishing a communication path from an external network at a predetermined timing with the LAN;
Content request means for detecting each of the in-home devices via the communication path established by the communication path establishment means, and requesting each detected in-home device to transmit the content;
Content management apparatus comprising: content storage means for storing content received from each home device in response to a request from the content request means in a storage unit for each home device. The communication path establishment means transmits a communication path establishment request for requesting establishment of a communication path with the LAN to a control device that controls communication between each digital home appliance connected via the LAN and outside the home. Establishing a communication path with the LAN by receiving a communication path establishment response to the communication path establishment request,
The content request unit broadcasts a detection packet for detecting each digital home appliance via the communication path established by the communication path establishment unit, and the digital request is transmitted as a response to the broadcast detection packet. The content of each digital home appliance is specified based on home appliance information included in each response packet received from the home appliance, and transmission of the content is requested for each specified content. Content management device. The communication path establishment means transmits a communication path establishment request for requesting establishment of a communication path with the LAN to a control device that controls communication between each information processing terminal connected to the LAN and outside the home. And establishing a communication path with the LAN by receiving a communication path establishment response to the communication path establishment request,
The content requesting unit broadcasts a detection packet for detecting each information processing terminal via the communication path established by the communication path establishing unit, and each of the contents requesting unit as a response to the broadcasted detection packet The content of each information processing terminal is specified based on terminal information included in each response packet received from the information processing terminal, and transmission of the content is requested for each specified content. The content management device described in 1. The communication path establishment means establishes a communication path between each user using the content management device and a LAN constructed in the house,
The content request means detects each home device for each LAN, requests each detected home device to transmit the content,
The content storage unit stores the content received from each home device in response to a request from the content request unit in association with each user in a storage unit for each home device. The content management apparatus described. A content management method in which a content management device manages content held by each home device connected to a LAN,
A communication path establishing step for establishing a communication path from an external network at a predetermined timing with the LAN;
A content requesting step of detecting each of the in-home devices via the communication path established by the communication path establishing step, and requesting each of the detected in-home devices to transmit the content;
A content management method comprising: a content storage step of storing content received from each home device in response to a request in the content requesting step in a storage unit for each home device. The communication path establishment step transmits a communication path establishment request for requesting establishment of a communication path with the LAN to a control device that controls communication between each digital home appliance connected via the LAN and outside the home. Establishing a communication path with the LAN by receiving a communication path establishment response to the communication path establishment request,
The content request step broadcasts a detection packet for detecting each digital home appliance via the communication path established by the communication path establishment step, and each digital signal is sent as a response to the broadcast detection packet. The content of each digital home appliance is specified based on home appliance information included in each response packet received from the home appliance, and transmission of the content is requested for each specified content. Content management method. The communication path establishment step transmits a communication path establishment request for requesting establishment of a communication path with the LAN to a control device that controls communication between each information processing terminal connected to the LAN and outside the home. And establishing a communication path with the LAN by receiving a communication path establishment response to the communication path establishment request,
The content request step broadcasts a detection packet for detecting each of the information processing terminals via the communication path established by the communication path establishment step, and the respective response requests to the broadcast detection packet 6. The content held by each information processing terminal is specified based on terminal information included in each response packet received from the information processing terminal, and transmission of the content is requested for each specified content. The content management method described in 1. In the communication channel establishment step, each user using the content management device establishes a communication channel with a LAN built in a home,
The content requesting step detects each home device for each LAN, and requests each detected home device to transmit the content,
The content storage step stores the content received from each home device in response to a request in the content requesting step in association with each user in a storage unit for each home device. The content management method described.

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