JP2011130104A - Information processor, display control method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processor capable of improving operability of a user during user's operation on a display picture, a display control method, and a program. <P>SOLUTION: The information processor includes: a communication part which communicates with a communication apparatus having external device information stored therein and including an operation part and a display part; a display processing part which processes display information to display a first display picture; and a limited display information generation part which generates limited display information on the basis of display information corresponding to the first display picture and limitation defined in the acquired external device information and transmits the generated limited display information to the communication apparatus having the external device information stored therein. When the communication part receives display change information showing change contents of a second display picture transmitted from the communication apparatus displaying the second display picture based on the limited display information, the display processing part updates the first display picture to a display picture reflecting the change contents shown by the display change information on the basis of the received display change information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a display control method, and a program.

  In recent years, digital television television broadcasting (hereinafter referred to as “digital broadcasting”) has started as a television broadcasting that replaces analog television television broadcasting (hereinafter referred to as “analog broadcasting”). In addition to information processing apparatuses capable of receiving analog broadcasts, information processing apparatuses capable of receiving digital broadcasts and data broadcasts are becoming popular. Further, among information processing apparatuses capable of receiving various broadcasts as described above, for example, those capable of communicating with an external apparatus such as a server via a network such as the Internet have appeared. As described above, by receiving various broadcasts and receiving data from an external device via a network, the information processing apparatus can display a display screen with a larger amount of information (for example, a screen corresponding to video and data broadcast). Display screens displayed together) can be displayed on a display device.

  Under such circumstances, a technology for performing display in cooperation between a plurality of devices has been developed. As a technique for displaying an image or the like linked to or interlocked with the display content of the master unit on the slave unit, including a master unit that displays an image based on information captured from the outside and a slave unit, for example, Patent Document 1 Is mentioned. Patent Document 2 is an example of a technology that links displays on the display device and the mobile terminal using a management device connected to the display device and the mobile terminal via a network. For example, Patent Literature 3 discloses a technique in which the control device that has acquired the HTML data converts the HTML data into screen data that can be displayed by the terminal device and causes the terminal device to display a screen corresponding to the screen data. .

JP 2008-99313 A JP 2008-278266 A JP 2008-139981 A

  As described above, the display screen displayed on the display device (the display device included in the information processing apparatus or the display device as an external apparatus) by the information processing apparatus has a larger amount of information. Further, as the amount of information included in the display screen increases, the number of user operations that can be performed by the user on the display screen has increased, and operations required by the user have also become more complicated. .

  Here, for example, the user performs an operation on the display screen by operating an external operation device such as a remote controller and causing the information processing device to perform processing corresponding to the operation. At this time, in general, the user performs further operations while confirming that the operation performed by the user is reflected on the display screen. However, as the required user operation becomes more complicated, the user actually performs the operation. Operation must be performed while visually checking the external operating device. For this reason, as the amount of information on the display screen displayed by the information processing apparatus increases, a decrease in user operability has become a (substantial) problem.

  For example, a display screen displayed by the information processing apparatus, an operation device that can be operated by the user, and a display screen can be displayed as a method for preventing the deterioration of the user operability and improving the user operability. It is assumed that a display screen displayed on a communication device including a display device is linked. When using the above method, the user can operate the display screen displayed by the information processing apparatus by operating the communication apparatus while viewing the display screen displayed on the communication apparatus. Therefore, even if the required operation becomes complicated, the user can perform the operation while looking at the display screen of the communication device that performs the operation, so that the user's operability is prevented from being deteriorated. Can be improved.

  However, even if a conventional technique (hereinafter simply referred to as “conventional technique”) that performs display in cooperation between a plurality of apparatuses is used, improvement in user operability cannot be expected. Hereinafter, an example of a problem in the conventional technique will be described.

[Problems of the prior art]
[I]
A conventional technique (hereinafter referred to as “conventional technology 1”) that displays an image or the like linked or linked with the display content of the parent device on the child device causes the child device to display an image linked to the parent device. Therefore, when the conventional technique 1 is used, the user can operate the external operation device while viewing the display screen displayed on the slave unit closer to the master unit. There is a possibility that it is possible to prevent the decrease in the amount to some extent.

  However, the conventional technique 1 changes the display content displayed on each of the parent device and the child device according to the characteristics (for example, screen size) of each device. Therefore, even if the conventional technique 1 is used, the user does not use the display screen displayed on the slave unit in order to operate the display screen displayed on the master unit (corresponding to the information processing apparatus). There is a high possibility that an operation on the display screen must be performed while viewing the display screen displayed on the master unit. Therefore, even if the conventional technique 1 is used, improvement in user operability cannot be expected.

[II]
In addition, a conventional technique (hereinafter referred to as “conventional technique 2”) in which display on the display device and the mobile terminal is coordinated using a management device connected to the display device and the mobile terminal via a network. ) Causes the management device to relay, so that the same content data is shared between the display device (corresponding to the information processing device) and the mobile terminal, and the same display screen is displayed on the display device and the mobile terminal. . Therefore, when the conventional technique 2 is used, the external operation device is viewed while viewing the display screen of the mobile terminal on which the same screen as the display screen displayed on the display device (corresponding to the information processing device) is displayed. Since it becomes possible to operate, there is a possibility that deterioration of the user's operability can be prevented to some extent.

  However, in the case of the conventional technique 2, since the display on the display device and the mobile terminal cannot be linked unless the management device relays, either the display device or the mobile terminal cannot communicate with the management device. In other words, the display device and the mobile terminal cannot display a coordinated display screen. In the above case, in order to operate the display screen displayed on the display device, the user does not display the display screen displayed on the mobile terminal but displays the display screen displayed on the display device. You will have to perform operations on the screen. Therefore, even if the conventional technique 2 is used, improvement in user operability cannot be expected.

[III]
Further, a conventional technique (hereinafter referred to as “conventional technique 3”) in which the control device converts HTML data into screen data that can be displayed by the terminal device and displays a screen corresponding to the screen data on the terminal device is controlled. A display screen corresponding to the screen data generated by the device is displayed on the terminal device, and the terminal device can be operated on the display screen. Therefore, when the conventional technique 3 is used, the user can perform an operation while viewing the display screen of the terminal device on which the screen corresponding to the screen indicated by the HTML data acquired by the control device is displayed. There is a possibility that a decrease in user operability can be prevented to some extent.

  Here, in the conventional technique 3, the control device assigns link information extracted from the HTML data to the general screen data based on the acquired HTML (HyperText Markup Language) data and the general screen data stored in advance. By doing so, screen data is generated. However, in the control device according to the conventional technique 3, information that is the basis of the display screen (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “display information”) is described in, for example, BML (Broadcast Markup Language) related to data broadcasting. In the case of information (data) other than HTML data, such as BML data or widget data described in a unique format in which HTML is extended, screen data cannot be generated.

  Therefore, assuming that the control device according to the conventional technique 3 is configured to display the display screen on the display device, even if the conventional technique 3 is used, the user can control the control device (corresponding to the information processing apparatus) In order to perform an operation on the display screen to be displayed, it is necessary to perform an operation on the display screen while viewing the display screen displayed by the control device, not the display screen displayed on the terminal device. Therefore, even if the conventional technique 3 is used, improvement in user operability cannot be expected.

  As described above, even if the conventional technology for displaying in cooperation between a plurality of devices as shown in the conventional technology 1 to the conventional technology 3 is used, improvement in user operability cannot be expected.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved device that can improve the operability of the user when the user performs an operation on the display screen. An information processing apparatus, a display control method, and a program are provided.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, an external device information in which restrictions on display are defined is stored, and an operation unit that can be operated by a user and a display unit that can display a display screen, A communication unit that communicates with a communication device, a display processing unit that processes one or more display information and displays a first display screen according to the processed display information, and the first display A second display screen corresponding to the first display screen and capable of being displayed by the communication device based on display information corresponding to the screen and a restriction defined in the external device information acquired from the communication device; A restriction display information generating unit that generates restriction display information for display and transmits the restriction display information generated to the communication device that stores the external device information; and the second display based on the restriction display information. Display screen is displayed When the communication unit receives display change information transmitted from the communication device and indicating the change to the second display screen, the display processing unit is configured to receive the display change information based on the received display change information. Thus, there is provided an information processing apparatus that updates the first display screen to a display screen that reflects the change content indicated by the display change information.

  In such a configuration, new display information (restricted display information) that does not exceed the display limit of the communication device is generated, and a screen corresponding to the generated display information is displayed on the communication device. That is, in such a configuration, a display screen (second display screen) within the display restriction of the communication device corresponding to the display screen (first display screen) displayed by the own device is displayed on the communication device. Further, in such a configuration, the display content (first display screen) displayed by the own device based on the display change information transmitted from the communication device is updated to update the display screen (first screen) in the communication device. 2 display screen) and the display screen (first display screen) displayed by the device itself are linked. Thus, with this configuration, the communication device can be used by the user as an external operation device such as a remote controller.

  In addition, when the information processing apparatus having such a configuration is, for example, a DTV (Digital Television) display apparatus, the operation information (an example of display information) that can be operated by the user displayed on the display screen while watching TV is converted into, for example, HTML. By transferring to the communication device, the TV operation by the user in the communication device is enabled. In such a configuration, the information processing apparatus can set the layout of operation information suitable for the communication apparatus based on the external apparatus information acquired from the communication apparatus. Great contribution to improvement.

  The display update determination unit further determines whether or not to update the second display screen displayed on the communication device, and the display update determination unit is configured to perform the first update based on the display change information. When the display screen is updated, it is determined whether or not the updated first display screen includes a change content other than the change content indicated by the display change information based on the processing result of the display processing unit. When the updated first display screen includes a change content other than the change content indicated by the display change information, the limited display information generation unit displays the limited display information corresponding to the updated first display screen. May be generated.

  In addition, when the generation instruction for generating the limited display information is transmitted from the display update determination unit, the limited display information generation unit is not changed contents indicated by the display change information based on the processing result of the display processing unit. Restriction display information indicating only the changed contents may be generated.

  In addition, when the first display screen is updated without being based on the display change information, the display update determination unit displays the updated first display screen based on the processing result of the display processing unit. Corresponding restriction display information may be generated by the restriction display information generation unit.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the second aspect of the present invention, external device information that defines restrictions on display is stored, and an operation unit that can be operated by a user and a display that can display a display screen A display control method in an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with one or more display information and displaying a first display screen corresponding to the display information processed and processed. Based on the display information corresponding to the first display screen and the restrictions defined in the external device information acquired from the communication device, the communication device can display corresponding to the first display screen. A step of generating restricted display information for displaying the second display screen, and a step of transmitting the restricted display information generated in the generating step to the communication device storing the external device information. Display change information indicating changes to the second display screen transmitted from the communication device displaying the second display screen based on the limited display information transmitted in the transmitting step. When the display change information is received in the receiving step and the receiving step, the change contents indicated by the display change information on the first display screen are reflected based on the received display change information. There is provided a display control method including a step of updating to a display screen.

  In this method, new display information (restricted display information) that does not exceed the display limit of the communication device is generated, and a screen corresponding to the generated display information is displayed on the communication device. In other words, in this method, a display screen (second display screen) within the display restriction of the communication device corresponding to the display screen (first display screen) displayed by the information processing device is displayed on the communication device. . In this method, the display content of the display screen (first display screen) displayed by the information processing device based on the display change information transmitted from the communication device is updated to display the display screen ( The second display screen) is linked to the display screen (first display screen) displayed by the information processing apparatus. Therefore, by using this method, the communication device can be used by the user as an external operation device such as a remote controller.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to a third aspect of the present invention, external device information that defines restrictions on display is stored, and an operation unit that can be operated by a user and a display that can display a display screen A program that can be used for an information processing device that can communicate with a communication device including a display unit and displays a first display screen according to the display information processed by processing one or more display information. The communication device corresponding to the first display screen is based on display information corresponding to the first display screen and a restriction defined in the external device information acquired from the communication device. The restriction display information generated in the generating step is transmitted to the communication device that stores the external device information, and the restriction display information for displaying the displayable second display screen is transmitted. Step, display change information indicating changes to the second display screen transmitted from the communication device on which the second display screen is displayed based on the limited display information transmitted in the transmitting step. In the receiving step, when the display change information is received in the receiving step, the display reflecting the change content indicated by the display change information on the first display screen based on the received display change information A program for causing a computer to execute the step of updating the screen is provided.

  In such a program, new display information (restricted display information) that does not exceed the display limit of the communication device is generated, and a screen corresponding to the generated display information is displayed on the communication device. That is, in such a program, a display screen (second display screen) within the display restriction of the communication device corresponding to the display screen (first display screen) displayed by the information processing device is displayed on the communication device. . Further, in such a program, the display screen (first display screen) displayed by the information processing device is updated based on the display change information transmitted from the communication device, whereby the display screen ( The second display screen) is linked to the display screen (first display screen) displayed by the information processing apparatus. Therefore, by using such a program, the communication device can be used by the user as an external operation device such as a remote controller.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, when a user performs operation with respect to a display screen, a user's operativity can be improved.

It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the outline | summary of the information processing system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the restriction | limiting display information which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the restriction | limiting display information which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the restriction | limiting display information which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating an example of the process which concerns on the operativity improvement approach which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the communication apparatus information which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the information processing apparatus information which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the 1st display screen which the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention displays. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the 1st example of the display update process which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 1st update example of the 1st display screen and 2nd display screen which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 1st update example of the 1st display screen and 2nd display screen which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 2nd update example of the 1st display screen and 2nd display screen which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 2nd update example of the 1st display screen and 2nd display screen which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 3rd update example of the 1st display screen and 2nd display screen which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 3rd update example of the 1st display screen and 2nd display screen which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the virtual operation key displayed on the communication apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the 2nd example of the display update process which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 4th example of a update of the 1st display screen and 2nd display screen which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 4th example of a update of the 1st display screen and 2nd display screen which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the communication apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

  Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

(Operability improvement approach according to an embodiment of the present invention)
Before describing the configuration of each device constituting an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “information processing system 1000”), first, operability according to the embodiment of the present invention is described. Explain the improvement approach.

[Outline of information processing system]
An outline of the information processing system 1000 will be described as a premise for explaining the operability improvement approach according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an overview of an information processing system 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 1, the information processing system 1000 includes an information processing apparatus 100 and a communication apparatus 200.

[Outline of Information Processing Apparatus 100]
The information processing apparatus 100 receives a broadcast wave 300 on which a broadcast signal transmitted from a TV tower or the like is carried and / or communicates with an external apparatus via the network 400 (or directly), The transmission data transmitted from the external device is received. Then, the information processing apparatus 100 processes the received broadcast signal and / or the received transmission data and displays a display screen according to the processing result, for example, a display unit (described later) that the information processing apparatus 100 can include. Alternatively, it is displayed on a connected external display device.

  Examples of the network 400 include a wired network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) and a WAN (Wide Area Network), a wireless WAN (WWAN: Wireless Wide Area Network) via a base station, and a wireless MAN (WMAN: Wireless Metropolitan Area Network). ) Or the like, or the Internet using a communication protocol such as TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol).

  Here, the direct reception of the broadcast signal related to the broadcast wave 300 in the information processing apparatus 100 indicates that the information processing apparatus 100 receives the broadcast wave 300, for example. The indirect reception of the broadcast signal related to the broadcast wave 300 in the information processing apparatus 100 is, for example, that the information processing apparatus 100 receives a broadcast signal transmitted from an external antenna that has received the broadcast wave 300, or Receiving a broadcast signal via a set top box or the like. Examples of the broadcast signal according to the embodiment of the present invention include a broadcast signal related to analog broadcast and a broadcast signal related to digital broadcast. Hereinafter, a case where the information processing apparatus 100 processes a broadcast signal related to digital broadcasting will be described as an example.

  In addition, the broadcast signal according to the embodiment of the present invention includes, for example, a video signal indicating a video (indicating a moving image or a still image. The same shall apply hereinafter) and a sound (including music. The same shall apply hereinafter). .), Various data related to data broadcasting such as BML data and EPG (Electronic Program Guide) data.

  The transmission data according to the embodiment of the present invention includes, for example, HTML data, widget data described in a proprietary format in which HTML is extended, XML (Extensible Markup Language) data, video streaming data, and the like.

  In the following, for example, information regarding display (information that is the basis of a display screen) of received broadcast signals, information regarding display of received transmission data, content data stored in the information processing apparatus 100, and the like. Information (data) constituting the display screen by the apparatus 100 performing various processes such as decoding is referred to as “display information”. The information processing apparatus 100 processes one or more pieces of display information to display a display screen corresponding to the processed display information (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “first display screen”).

  In the following, a case will be described as an example in which the information processing apparatus 100 includes a display unit that can display a display screen and displays the first display screen on the display unit. Note that the information processing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may not include a display unit, and the first display screen is displayed on an external display device such as an external display connected (regardless of the presence or absence of the display unit). Can be displayed

  In addition, the information processing apparatus 100 communicates with the communication apparatus 200 and performs processing related to an operability improvement approach according to an embodiment of the present invention described later, whereby the first display screen and the display included in the communication apparatus 200 are provided. Are linked (or linked) to the display screen displayed on the section (described later).

  Here, the information processing apparatus 100 and the communication apparatus 200 include, for example, wireless communication using IEEE802.11b, IEEE802.15.1, USB (Universal Serial Bus), HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), Performs wired communication via LAN.

[Outline of Communication Device 200]
The communication apparatus 200 is an apparatus that can communicate with the information processing apparatus 100, and includes an operation unit (described later) that can be operated by a user and a display unit (described later) that can display a display screen. The user of the communication device 200 operates the display screen displayed on the display unit by using the operation unit. Note that the communication device 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention can also include an operation display unit capable of display and user operation, such as a touch screen.

  The information processing system 1000 includes the information processing apparatus 100 and the communication apparatus 200 as described above, for example. Hereinafter, the operability improvement approach according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described using the information processing system 1000 shown in FIG. 1 as an example.

[Overview of approach to improving operability]
In the embodiment of the present invention, the first display screen displayed by the information processing apparatus 100 and the display screen displayed on the communication apparatus 200 are linked (or linked, the same shall apply hereinafter) to the user. Improve operability.

  More specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, the information processing apparatus 100 performs, for example, the following process (1) (restricted display information generation process) and process (2) (display update process): Improve user operability. Here, the process (1) (restricted display information generation process) and the process (2) (display update process) described below can be regarded as processes related to the display control method according to the embodiment of the present invention. .

(1) Restricted display information generation processing The information processing apparatus 100 performs restriction based on display information corresponding to the first display screen being displayed and communication apparatus information (external apparatus information) acquired from the communication apparatus 200. Generate display information. Then, the information processing apparatus 100 transmits the generated limited display information to the communication apparatus 200, thereby causing the communication apparatus 200 to display a display screen corresponding to the limited display information. Hereinafter, the display screen displayed on the communication device 200 based on the limited display information according to the embodiment of the present invention is referred to as a “second display screen”.

  Here, the communication device information (external device information) according to the embodiment of the present invention is information that defines restrictions on display, and is stored at least by the communication device 200. The information processing apparatus 100 uniquely identifies the display restriction on the communication apparatus 200 by acquiring the communication apparatus information from the communication apparatus 200.

  The communication device information includes, for example, information related to display restrictions such as the language of the browser supported by the communication device 200, the window size that can be displayed, and the maximum number of windows that can be displayed. The communication device information according to the embodiment of the present invention includes device information that defines the type of communication device (for example, model name and version of the communication device), key information used for authentication, and a format used for communication. The information to prescribe | regulate etc. may be further included. The information defining the format used for the communication includes, for example, information indicating whether or not the communication device 200 can update only the part when a partial display update occurs.

  Further, the limited display information according to the embodiment of the present invention is a display screen corresponding to the first display screen and for displaying a display screen (second display screen) that can be displayed by the communication device 200. Information. As described above, the information processing apparatus 100 uniquely identifies the display restriction on the communication apparatus 200 by acquiring the communication apparatus information from the communication apparatus 200. Therefore, the information processing apparatus 100 can display new display information (restricted display information) that does not exceed the display limit specified by the acquired communication apparatus information based on the display information corresponding to the first display screen being displayed. Can be generated.

  Restricted display information includes, for example, information related to display such as the number of windows indicating the number of displayable contents, the window position indicating the display position of each window, and focus information indicating which window has focus, and display contents Contains information indicating. The information processing apparatus 100 uses, for example, display information obtained by appropriately changing display information constituting the first display screen in accordance with a language system supported by the communication apparatus 200 as information indicating the display content. A specific example of the restriction display information according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described later.

  2-4 is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the restriction | limiting display information which concerns on embodiment of this invention. Here, FIG. 2 shows an example of a first display screen displayed by the information processing apparatus 100, and FIG. 3 shows an example of limited display information according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows an example of a second display screen displayed on the communication device 200 based on the restriction display information.

  The first display screen shown in FIG. 2 shows a display screen on which video, information related to data broadcasting, and a widget are displayed simultaneously. The information processing apparatus 100 processes a plurality of display information to display a display screen on which a plurality of functions as shown in FIG. 2 are displayed on one screen. Hereinafter, as shown in FIG. 2, the screen components having the individual functions constituting the first display screen may be referred to as “parts”. Each part corresponds to one or more display information.

  The information processing apparatus 100 has a format in which the communication apparatus 200 can display each part in a format that can be processed by the communication apparatus 200 based on the communication apparatus information acquired from the communication apparatus 200 (for example, a format based on browser language information). Data. By making each part into data in a format that can be displayed by the communication apparatus 200, the information processing apparatus 100 performs display based on the limited display information in the communication apparatus 200, and functions (for example, browser engine) that the communication apparatus 200 has. Etc.).

  FIG. 2 shows an example in which the information processing apparatus 100 collects parts by HTML format description. Here, for example, when the display information corresponding to the part is HTML data, the information processing apparatus 100 uses the display information itself. Further, when the display information corresponding to the part is not HTML data, the information processing apparatus 100 processes the display information to form data so that the HTML browser engine of the communication apparatus 200 can perform drawing. . For example, even when there is a part that is not originally described in HTML, such as a program guide screen, the information processing apparatus 100 is a part related to the first display screen that is displayed. Can be grasped. Therefore, the information processing apparatus 100 can form data so that drawing can be performed by the HTML browser engine of the communication apparatus 200 even when there are parts that are not originally described in HTML.

  The information processing apparatus 100 stores, for example, parts described in HTML in advance in a ROM (Read Only Memory) or the like, and appropriately reads the parts described in HTML from the ROM, thereby generating the limited display information generation time. May be shortened.

  Here, when forming the data of each part, the information processing apparatus 100 sets an ID (for example, “TV div id” shown in FIG. 3) for identifying the object at least for an object that can be focused. Append. When the information processing apparatus 100 generates the restricted display information in which an ID is added to the object, the information processing apparatus 100 and the communication apparatus 200 notify the object related to the change when the respective display screens change. Can be easily performed.

  In addition, the information processing apparatus 100 generates limited display information within a range that does not exceed the display capability of the communication apparatus 200 by using information regarding display restrictions included in the communication apparatus information acquired from the communication apparatus 200. FIG. 3 shows an example of limited display information that does not include the video displayed on the first display screen. Note that when the communication apparatus 200 cannot display a widget, the information processing apparatus 100 does not generate restricted display information including the widget even if, for example, there is a part corresponding to the widget on the first display screen. Further, when the first display screen includes parts exceeding the maximum number of windows that can be displayed by the communication apparatus 200, the information processing apparatus 100 is provided with other restrictions included in the communication apparatus information or provided in advance. Based on the priority, etc., one part is selected, and limited display information including the part is generated.

  In addition, the information processing apparatus 100 uses the communication apparatus information to generate limited display information in which an image size, a part size, or the like is adjusted according to the resolution supported by the communication apparatus 200. Further, the information processing apparatus 100 may generate limited display information including elements that are not included in the first display screen, such as a scroll bar. When the limited display information to which the scroll bar is added without adjusting the image size, the part size, or the like as described above, the display unit of the communication device 200 includes, for example, characters included in the first display screen. However, the image is displayed larger than when the image size, the part size, or the like is adjusted. In the above case, for example, the information processing apparatus 100 generates limited display information that clearly indicates the display range.

  Here, for example, when there are parts displayed in a list format on the first display screen, the visibility can be further improved by not adjusting the image size, the part size, or the like. Therefore, the information processing apparatus 100 generates the limited display information in which the image size, the part size, and the like are selectively adjusted based on the display content of the first display screen, so that the information processing apparatus 100 The operability can be further increased. In addition, since the information processing apparatus 100 can perform layout setting suitable for the communication apparatus 200 based on the communication apparatus information acquired from the communication apparatus 200, the generation of the limited display information in the information processing apparatus 100 is as follows. The degree of contribution to improving operability in the communication device 200 is large.

  In addition, each part constituting the first display screen may include information not related to display, such as script information, for example. In the above case, the information processing apparatus 100 generates limited display information in which information unrelated to the display in each part is deleted, for example. As described above, the information processing apparatus 100 generates the limited display information from which information unrelated to display is deleted, so that the information processing apparatus 100 can transmit and receive the limited display information to and from the communication apparatus 200 in the total amount of transactions. Can be reduced.

  Needless to say, the information processing apparatus 100 can generate limited display information including information not related to display. In the above case, for example, the communication device 200 that has received the restricted display information may not delete information that is not related to display or process information that is not related to the display.

  The information processing apparatus 100 generates the limited display information as illustrated in FIG. 2, for example, by performing the process for each part as described above. Here, FIG. 2 shows an example of the limited display information in XML format generated by the information processing apparatus 100 based on the display position of each part, the generated HTML data, and the initial focus position.

  Note that the information processing apparatus 100 may generate restriction display information in an arbitrary format that can be displayed by the communication apparatus 200 based on the communication apparatus information acquired from the communication apparatus 200, for example.

  For example, the communication device 200 that has received the restriction display information illustrated in FIG. 2 processes the received restriction display information and displays a second display screen corresponding to the restriction display information. More specifically, the communication apparatus 200 generates a window from the display position information included in the limited display information, and performs a drawing process for a part corresponding to each generated window. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, a second display screen corresponding to the first display screen shown in FIG. 2 and not exceeding the display limit of the communication device 200 is displayed on the display unit of the communication device 200. It will be.

  Here, the communication apparatus 200 displays the enlarged second display screen by performing various processes related to enlarged display, for example. As described above, the communication device 200 can display the second display screen with improved visibility.

  The information processing apparatus 100 displays the second display screen corresponding to the displayed first display screen on the communication apparatus 200 by transmitting the generated limited display information to the communication apparatus 200 as described above, for example. Let When the second display screen corresponding to the first display screen is displayed on communication device 200, the user operates communication device 200 while viewing the second display screen displayed on communication device 200. An operation on the first display screen displayed by the information processing apparatus 100 can be performed. That is, when the second display screen corresponding to the first display screen is displayed on the communication device 200, the user needs to perform an operation while alternately viewing the first display screen and the communication device 200 performing the operation. Disappears.

  Therefore, the information processing apparatus 100 can further improve user operability by performing the process (1).

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the information processing apparatus 100 transmits all display information corresponding to the first display screen to the communication apparatus 200, and the communication apparatus 200 generates information corresponding to the restricted display information. The display screen may be displayed.

(2) Display update process When the second display screen as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the communication apparatus 200 by the process (1) (restricted display information generation process), the information processing apparatus 100 displays the second display screen. The first display screen being displayed and / or the second display screen being displayed on the communication device 200 are selectively updated.

  More specifically, when the display change information transmitted from the communication device 200 is received, the information processing apparatus 100 changes the display content indicated by the display change information on the first display screen based on the received display change information. Update the display screen to reflect.

  Here, the display change information according to the embodiment of the present invention is information indicating a change content for the second display screen. Based on the operation performed on the second display screen, the communication apparatus 200 transmits, for example, display change information indicating focus movement, character input, and other key operations to the information processing apparatus 100. Here, examples of the display update information indicating the focus movement include a focus movement identifier indicating the focus movement and a component ID after the focus movement. The display update information indicating character input includes, for example, a character input identifier and input character (character string) indicating character input, a component ID indicating a component to be input, and the like. Examples of display update information indicating other key operations include a key input identifier indicating key input, key information, and a component ID indicating a component to be input.

  The information processing apparatus 100 that has received the display change information transmitted from the communication apparatus 200 updates the display content of the first display screen according to the change content included in the received display change information.

  Note that the communication device 200 may transmit, for example, operation key information indicating an operation key (for example, a button) of an operation unit of the communication device 200 on which a user operation has been performed to the information processing device 100 as display change information. . A specific example of updating the display content of the first display screen according to the display change information in the information processing apparatus 100 will be described later.

  Further, the information processing apparatus 100 determines whether to update the second display screen displayed on the communication apparatus 200. Then, the information processing apparatus 100 selectively generates a second limited display information according to the determination result and transmits the new limited display information to the communication apparatus 200, thereby selectively selecting the second display screen displayed on the communication apparatus 200. To update.

  More specifically, when the first display screen is updated based on the display change information, the information processing apparatus 100, for example, the updated first display screen is other than the change content indicated by the display change information. It is determined whether or not the changed contents are included. Then, when the updated first display screen includes a change content other than the change content indicated by the display change information, the information processing apparatus 100 newly sets the limited display information corresponding to the updated first display screen. The generated new restriction display information is transmitted to the communication apparatus 200.

  The communication device 200 that has received the newly generated restriction display information processes the received restriction display information. Accordingly, the second display screen corresponding to the limited display information newly generated by the information processing apparatus 100, that is, the updated second display screen is displayed on the display unit of the communication apparatus 200.

  Further, when the first display screen is updated without being based on the display change information, the information processing apparatus 100 newly generates limited display information corresponding to the updated first display screen, and generates the newly generated new display screen. Limit display information is transmitted to the communication device 200.

  The communication device 200 processes the limited display information received in the same manner as described above, whereby the updated second display screen is displayed on the display unit of the communication device 200.

  Here, the information processing apparatus 100 generates limited display information based on each part constituting the updated first display screen. In addition, the information processing apparatus 100 generates the limited display information based on only some parts changed from the first display screen before the update among the parts constituting the updated first display screen. May be. In the above case, for example, the generated restriction display information indicates only the change contents other than the change contents indicated by the display change information. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the total amount of transactions in communication related to the transmission / reception of the restriction display information. It becomes possible.

  The information processing apparatus 100 updates the second display screen displayed on the communication apparatus 200 by transmitting new display change information indicating all or part of the first display screen to the communication apparatus 200. .

  For example, as described above, the information processing apparatus 100 selectively updates the first display screen displayed and / or the second display screen displayed on the communication apparatus 200. Therefore, the first display screen displayed by the information processing apparatus 100 and the second display screen displayed on the communication apparatus 200 are updated in conjunction with each other, so that the display contents and the second display on the first display screen are updated. The display content on the screen is kept in a corresponding state.

  Therefore, the user can operate the first display screen displayed by the information processing apparatus 100 by operating the communication apparatus 200 while viewing the second display screen displayed on the communication apparatus 200. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform the operation while alternately viewing the first display screen and the communication device 200 that performs the operation. Therefore, the information processing apparatus 100 can further improve user operability by performing the process (2).

  The information processing apparatus 100 performs, for example, the process (1) (restricted display information generation process) and the process (2) (display update process) to display a first display screen displayed by the information processing apparatus 100, The second display screen displayed on the display unit of the communication device 200 is linked (or linked). Therefore, the user can operate the first display screen displayed by the information processing apparatus 100 by operating the communication apparatus 200 while viewing the second display screen displayed on the communication apparatus 200. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform the operation while alternately viewing the first display screen and the communication device 200 that performs the operation.

  Therefore, the information processing apparatus 100 performs the process (1) (restricted display information generation process) and the process (2) (display update process) so that the operability of the user can be improved as compared with the case of using the conventional technique. The possibility that the reduction occurs can be further reduced. In addition, the information processing apparatus 100 can improve user operability when the user performs an operation on the display screen by preventing a decrease in user operability.

[Processing related to operability improvement approach]
Next, processing related to the operability improvement approach according to the embodiment of the present invention described above will be described. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of processing related to the operability improvement approach according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  The information processing apparatus 100 and the communication apparatus 200 each perform connection processing when starting communication (S100).

  When the connection is established in step S100, the communication device 200 transmits communication device information (external device information) to the information processing device 100 (S102). Here, the communication device 200 automatically transmits the communication device information stored in advance in response to the establishment of the connection. Note that the communication apparatus 200 may transmit the communication apparatus information based on a communication apparatus information transmission request that requests transmission of communication apparatus information, which is transmitted from the information processing apparatus 100, for example. Further, the communication device 200 may appropriately generate communication device information and transmit the generated communication device information.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of communication device information according to the embodiment of the present invention. The communication device 200 transmits communication device information as shown in FIG. 6, for example.

  The information processing apparatus 100 that has received the communication apparatus information transmitted from the communication apparatus 200 in step S102 transmits the information processing apparatus information to the communication apparatus 200 (S104).

  Here, the information processing apparatus information according to the embodiment of the present invention is information used to transmit information related to the information processing apparatus 100 to a communication target apparatus, for example. Based on the received communication device information, the information processing device 100 determines, for example, the browser language, the maximum window size, and the maximum number of windows related to the limited display information that may be generated, and the determination result is determined by the information processing device. Send as information.

  The information processing apparatus information includes, for example, information related to display such as a browser language that the information processing apparatus 100 may notify, a displayable window size, and a maximum number of displayable windows. Note that the information processing apparatus information according to the embodiment of the present invention includes, for example, device information that defines the type of the information processing apparatus (for example, the model name and version of the information processing apparatus) and key information used for control ( Key mapping information), information defining a format used for communication, and the like may be further included. The information defining the format used for the communication includes, for example, information indicating a notification method (partial notification or notification of all) when a partial display update occurs.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of information processing apparatus information according to the embodiment of the present invention. The information processing apparatus 100 transmits information processing apparatus information as shown in FIG. 7, for example.

  The communication device 200 that has received the information processing device information transmitted from the information processing device 100 in step S104 confirms the content of the information processing device information and transmits the confirmed result (S106). Here, in step S <b> 106, the communication apparatus 200, for example, has limited display information that may be generated by the information processing apparatus 100 based on the information processing apparatus information, and is within a display limitation range of the communication apparatus 200. Check whether or not.

  Even if information processing apparatus 100 transmits limited display information based on the contents of information processing apparatus information transmitted in step S104 to communication apparatus 200 based on the response transmitted from communication apparatus 200 in step S106, there is a problem. Check if there is any. Therefore, the process of step S102 to the process of step S106 can be regarded as a kind of authentication process between the information processing apparatus 100 and the communication apparatus 200. In the following description, it is assumed that the communication apparatus 200 has made a response (normal response) indicating that there is no problem in step S106.

  The information processing apparatus 100 performs the above-described limited display information generation process (the process (1) above) (S108), and transmits the generated limited display information to the communication apparatus 200 (S110).

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a first display screen displayed by the information processing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The information processing apparatus 100 is, for example, a screen (FIG. 8A) on which data broadcasting is displayed, various setting screens, a program guide screen (FIG. 8B), and a screen on which a Web page is displayed (FIG. 8). 8 (c)), limited display information is generated based on the first display screen being displayed, such as the screen on which the widget is displayed (FIG. 8D).

  The communication device 200 that has received the restricted display information transmitted from the information processing device 100 in step S110 processes the received restricted display information, and displays a second display screen based on the restricted display information as shown in FIG. 4, for example. (S112, display processing).

  Here, the process of step S108 to the process of S112 corresponds to the process related to the process (1) (restricted display information generation process) described above.

  When the second display screen is displayed on the communication apparatus 200 in step S112, the information processing apparatus 100 and the communication apparatus 200 perform a display update process (the process (2) above) (S114). Here, the process of step S114 can be repeated a plurality of times until the communication between the information processing apparatus 100 and the communication apparatus 200 ends (until the process of step S116 described below is performed).

[Example of display update processing]
[A] First Example of Display Update Processing FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a first example of display update processing according to the embodiment of the present invention. Here, FIG. 9 shows an example of the display update process when the user performs an operation on the second display screen displayed on the communication device 200.

  When an operation is performed on the second display screen, the communication apparatus 200 transmits display change information to the information processing apparatus 100 (S200).

  When the display change information transmitted from the communication apparatus 200 is received in step S200, the information processing apparatus 100 updates the first display screen based on the display change information (S202, display process).

  When the first display screen is updated in step S202, the information processing apparatus 100 determines whether or not the updated first display screen includes a change content other than the change content indicated by the display change information (S204). Display update determination processing).

  When it is determined in step S204 that the updated first display screen includes a change content other than the change content indicated by the display change information, the information processing apparatus 100 corresponds to the updated first display screen. Restricted display information is newly generated (S206). Then, the information processing apparatus 100 transmits the new limited display information generated in step S206 to the communication apparatus 200 (S208).

  Further, when it is not determined that the first display screen updated in step S204 includes a change content other than the change content indicated by the display change information, the information processing apparatus 100 does not perform the process of step S206. In the above case, only the first display screen is updated.

  The communication apparatus 200 that has received the limited display information transmitted from the information processing apparatus 100 in step S208 updates the second display screen based on the received limited display information (S210, display processing). In the above case, the second display screen is updated in conjunction with the first display screen.

  When the user performs an operation on the second display screen displayed on the communication apparatus 200, the information processing apparatus 100 and the communication apparatus 200 perform, for example, the processing illustrated in FIG. And the second display screen are selectively updated.

  Here, an example of the first display screen and the second display screen that are updated in the first example of the display update process illustrated in FIG. 9 will be described.

[A-1] First Update Example of Display Screen FIGS. 10 and 11 are explanatory diagrams showing a first update example of the first display screen and the second display screen according to the embodiment of the present invention. is there. Here, FIG. 10 shows an example of the second display screen displayed on the communication apparatus 200, and FIG. 11 shows an example of the first display screen displayed by the information processing apparatus 100.

  When the focus F on the second display screen is changed from the position in FIG. 10A to the position in FIG. 10B by a focus movement operation (an example of a user operation), the communication apparatus 200 responds to the user operation. The display change information is transmitted to the information processing apparatus 100. Here, the display change information includes, for example, a focus movement identifier and a component ID after the focus movement.

  The information processing apparatus 100 that has received the display change information transmitted from the communication apparatus 200 updates the first display screen based on the display change information. Therefore, the focus F on the first display screen changes from the position shown in FIG. 11A to the position shown in FIG. At this time, since the updated first display screen does not include any change content other than the change content indicated by the display change information, the information processing device 100 displays the second display screen displayed on the communication device 200. Do not update.

[A-2] Second Update Example of Display Screen FIGS. 12 and 13 are explanatory diagrams showing a second update example of the first display screen and the second display screen according to the embodiment of the present invention. is there. Here, FIG. 12 shows an example of the second display screen displayed on the communication apparatus 200, and FIG. 13 shows an example of the first display screen displayed by the information processing apparatus 100.

  When a character input operation (an example of a user operation) is performed when the focus F on the second display screen is positioned on the form as shown in FIG. 12A, characters appear on the form as shown in FIG. The communication apparatus 200 transmits the display change information corresponding to the user operation to the information processing apparatus 100. Here, the display change information includes, for example, a character input identifier, an input character (character string), and an input target component ID.

  The information processing apparatus 100 that has received the display change information transmitted from the communication apparatus 200 updates the first display screen based on the display change information. Therefore, the form on the first display screen changes from a state where no character is input as shown in FIG. 13A to a state where a character is input as shown in FIG. At this time, since the updated first display screen does not include any change content other than the change content indicated by the display change information, the information processing device 100 displays the second display screen displayed on the communication device 200. Do not update.

[A-3] Third Update Example of Display Screen FIGS. 14 and 15 are explanatory diagrams showing a third update example of the first display screen and the second display screen according to the embodiment of the present invention. is there. Here, FIG. 14 shows an example of the second display screen displayed on the communication apparatus 200, and FIG. 15 shows an example of the first display screen displayed by the information processing apparatus 100.

  As shown in FIG. 14A, when the focus F is at the transmission position on the second display screen, for example, when the determination button of the operation unit of the communication apparatus 200 is pressed, the communication apparatus 200 performs the user operation. The corresponding display change information is transmitted to the information processing apparatus 100. At this time, a user operation is performed as a trigger for changing the display, but the display does not need to be updated on the second display screen, so the display does not change (does not change). Here, the display change information includes, for example, a key input identifier, key information, and an input target component ID.

  The information processing apparatus 100 that has received the display change information transmitted from the communication apparatus 200 updates the first display screen based on the display change information. Therefore, since the information processing apparatus 100 performs processing related to transmission in which the focus F is located, the first display screen is changed from the state illustrated in FIG. 15A to the state illustrated in FIG. 15B. And updated. In addition, the information processing apparatus 100 generates the restriction display information when the change content other than the change content indicated by the display change information is generated on the first display screen based on the processing result, and the generated restriction display information. Is transmitted to the communication device 200. In the above case, the second display screen changes based on the limited display information.

  FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of virtual operation keys displayed on the communication device 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention. When a virtual operation key as shown in FIG. 16 is selected by a user operation, the communication apparatus 200 transmits display change information including key information corresponding to the virtual operation key to the information processing apparatus 100. . Therefore, in the above case, the information processing apparatus 100 performs processing according to the virtual operation key.

  Further, by displaying virtual operation keys as shown in FIG. 16, for example, even when the number of buttons or the like included in the operation unit of the communication apparatus 200 is small, more various operations are performed on the user. It becomes possible to make it.

  In the first example of the display update process shown in FIG. 9, for example, as shown in [A-1] to [A-3] above, the first display screen and the second display screen are updated.

[B] Second Example of Display Update Process FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram for describing a second example of the display update process according to the embodiment of the present invention. Here, FIG. 17 shows an example of the display update process when the user is not operating the second display screen displayed on the communication device 200.

  For example, when the display content of the widget displayed on the first display screen is updated, the information processing apparatus 100 updates the first display screen (S300, display processing) based on the processing result of step S300. It is then determined whether or not to update the second display screen (S302, display update determination processing). Here, when the update in step S300 is an update that does not change the display content, the information processing apparatus 100 does not perform the process of step S304.

  If the update in step S300 is an update that changes the display content, the information processing apparatus 100 newly sets the restricted display information corresponding to the updated first display screen, as in step S206 shown in FIG. (S304). Then, the information processing apparatus 100 transmits the new limited display information generated in step S304 to the communication apparatus 200 (S306).

  The communication device 200 that has received the limited display information transmitted from the information processing device 100 in step S306 updates the second display screen based on the received limited display information (S308, display processing).

  When the user has not performed an operation on the second display screen displayed on the communication device 200, the information processing device 100 and the communication device 200 perform, for example, the process illustrated in FIG. The display screen and the second display screen are updated.

  Here, an example of the first display screen and the second display screen that are updated in the second example of the display update process illustrated in FIG. 17 will be described.

  18 and 19 are explanatory diagrams illustrating a fourth update example of the first display screen and the second display screen according to the embodiment of the present invention. Here, FIG. 18 shows an example of a first display screen displayed by the information processing apparatus 100, and FIG. 19 shows an example of a second display screen displayed on the communication apparatus 200.

  When the display content of the widget where the focus F is located in FIG. 18A is updated to the display content shown in FIG. 18B, the information processing apparatus 100 displays the restricted display corresponding to the updated first display screen. Information is generated, and the generated limited display information is transmitted to the communication device 200.

  The communication apparatus 200 that has received the limited display information transmitted from the information processing apparatus 100 updates the second display screen based on the limited display information. Therefore, the display content of the widget on the second display screen corresponds to the display content corresponding to FIG. 18A from the display content corresponding to FIG. 18A as shown in FIG. 19A and to FIG. 18B as shown in FIG. Changes to display contents.

  In the second example of the display update process shown in FIG. 17, for example, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the first display screen and the second display screen are updated.

  For example, the information processing apparatus 100 and the communication apparatus 200 selectively update the first display screen and the second display screen by performing the processes illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 17.

  With reference to FIG. 5 again, an example of processing related to the operability improvement approach according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. For example, the information processing apparatus 100 and the communication apparatus 200 end the communication by transmitting a disconnection request for ending the communication from any of the apparatuses (S116: communication release processing).

  For example, when a disconnection request is transmitted from the communication device 200, the information processing device 100 ends the communication with the communication device 200 and then continuously displays the first display screen. For example, when a disconnection request is transmitted from the information processing apparatus 100, the communication apparatus 200 cannot perform operations on the second display screen (substantially meaningless to perform the operations). A predetermined process such as ending the display of the second display screen is performed.

  The information processing apparatus 100 performs the process (1) (restricted display information generation process) and the process (2) (display update process) by performing, for example, the process shown in FIG. Therefore, the information processing apparatus 100 realizes the processing related to the operability improvement approach according to the embodiment of the present invention described above by performing the processing shown in FIG. 5, for example, and the user when the user performs an operation on the display screen The operability can be improved.

(Information processing apparatus and communication apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention)
Next, configuration examples of the information processing apparatus 100 and the communication apparatus 200 constituting the information processing system 1000 capable of realizing the operability improvement approach according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[Information processing apparatus 100]
FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Here, in FIG. 20, the communication apparatus 200, the broadcast wave 300, and the network 400 are shown together.

  The information processing apparatus 100 includes a first communication unit 102, a second communication unit 104, a storage unit 106, a control unit 108, an operation unit 110, and a display unit 112.

  The information processing apparatus 100 may include a ROM (not shown), a RAM (Random Access Memory, not shown), and the like. For example, the information processing apparatus 100 connects each component by a bus as a data transmission path.

  Here, the ROM stores control data such as programs and calculation parameters used by the control unit 108. The RAM primarily stores programs executed by the control unit 108.

[Hardware Configuration Example of Information Processing Apparatus 100]
FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 21, the information processing apparatus 100 includes, for example, an MPU 150, a ROM 152, a RAM 154, a recording medium 156, an input / output interface 158, an operation device 160, a display device 162, and a communication interface 164. . In addition, the information processing apparatus 100 connects each component with a bus 166 as a data transmission path, for example.

  The MPU 150 includes an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), an integrated circuit in which a plurality of circuits for realizing a control function are integrated, various circuits that process video signals and audio signals, and the like, and controls the entire information processing apparatus 100. Functions as the control unit 108. In addition, the MPU 150 serves as a display processing unit 120, a limited display information generation unit 122, and a display update determination unit 124 described later in the information processing apparatus 100.

  The ROM 152 stores control data such as programs and calculation parameters used by the MPU 150, and the RAM 154 primarily stores programs executed by the MPU 150, for example.

  The recording medium 156 is a storage unit in the information processing apparatus 100 and functions as the storage unit 106 in the information processing apparatus 100. The recording medium 156 stores various data such as external device information (communication device information) acquired from an external device such as the communication device 200, content data, and various applications.

  Here, as the recording medium 156, for example, a magnetic recording medium such as a hard disk, a nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory), a flash memory, or the like is used. Can be mentioned. Further, the information processing apparatus 100 may include the recording medium 156 in a detachable manner.

  The input / output interface 158 connects, for example, the operation input device 160 and the display device 162. Here, examples of the input / output interface 158 include a USB terminal, a DVI (Digital Visual Interface) terminal, an HDMI terminal, and various processing circuits. The input / output interface 158 is connected to an operation input device (for example, a keyboard or a mouse) as an external device of the information processing apparatus 100 or a display device (for example, an external display (an example of an external display device)). Needless to say, you can.

  The operation input device 160 functions as the operation unit 110. For example, the operation input device 160 is provided on the information processing apparatus 100 and is connected to the input / output interface 158 inside the information processing apparatus 100. Examples of the operation input device 160 include buttons, direction keys, or a combination thereof.

  The display device 162 is a display unit 112 that displays various screens such as a first display screen illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 8 and an operation screen for causing the information processing apparatus 100 to perform a desired operation. Function. For example, the display device 162 is provided on the information processing apparatus 100 and is connected to the input / output interface 158 inside the information processing apparatus 100. Examples of the display device 162 include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and an organic EL display (organic ElectroLuminescence display).

  The communication interface 164 is a communication unit included in the information processing apparatus 100. The communication interface 164 functions as the first communication unit 102 that performs wired / wireless communication with the communication device 200. The communication interface 164 receives (directly or indirectly) a broadcast signal via the broadcast wave 300 and / or communicates with an external device via the network 400 (or directly) and transmits the broadcast signal. It functions as the second communication unit 104 that receives data.

  Here, examples of the communication interface 164 include an IEEE 802.11b port and a transmission / reception circuit, a tuner and a demodulator, a LAN terminal, and a transmission / reception circuit.

  Note that the information processing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes, for example, a communication interface that functions as the first communication unit 102 and a communication interface that functions as the second communication unit 104 as separate communication interfaces. It may be.

  The information processing apparatus 100 performs processing related to the operability improvement approach described above, for example, with the configuration illustrated in FIG. Note that the information processing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be configured not to include the display device 162, for example. The information processing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes a communication interface (for example, an infrared communication port and a receiving circuit) for communicating with an external operation device that can be operated by a user such as a remote controller. Also good.

  With reference to FIG. 20 again, an example of the configuration of the information processing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. The first communication unit 102 is a first communication unit included in the information processing apparatus 100, and communicates with the communication apparatus 200 in a wired / wireless manner. Further, the communication of the first communication unit 102 is controlled by the control unit 108, for example.

  Here, examples of the first communication unit 102 include a LAN terminal and a transmission / reception circuit, an IEEE 802.15.1 port, a transmission / reception circuit, and the like.

  The second communication unit 104 is a second communication unit included in the information processing apparatus 100, and receives a broadcast signal via the broadcast wave 300 (directly / indirectly) and / or via the network 400. It communicates with an external device (or directly) to receive transmission data.

  Here, examples of the second communication unit 104 include a tuner and a demodulator, a LAN terminal, and a transmission / reception circuit. Note that the information processing apparatus 100 may be configured to include the first communication unit 102 and the second communication unit 104 as one communication unit, for example.

  The storage unit 106 is a storage unit included in the information processing apparatus 100. Here, examples of the storage unit 106 include a magnetic recording medium such as a hard disk, and a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory.

  In addition, the storage unit 106 stores various data such as external device information (communication device information) acquired from an external device such as the communication device 200, content data, and various applications. Here, FIG. 20 illustrates an example in which the communication device information 220 acquired from the communication device 200 is stored in the storage unit 106.

  The control unit 108 includes, for example, an MPU or an integrated circuit in which various processing circuits are integrated, and serves to control the entire information processing apparatus 100. In addition, the control unit 108 includes a display processing unit 120, a limited display information generation unit 122, and a display update determination unit 124, and performs the process related to the operability improvement approach described above.

  The display processing unit 120 processes the display information and displays a first display screen corresponding to the processed display information. Further, the display processing unit 120 updates the first display screen to a display screen in which the change content indicated by the display change information is reflected based on the received display change information.

  The restriction display information generation unit 122 plays a role of leading the process (1) (restriction display information generation process), and the display information corresponding to the first display screen and the communication acquired from the communication device 200. Restriction display information is generated based on the restriction defined in the device information 220. Then, the limited display information generation unit 122 transmits the generated limited display information to the communication device 200 (the communication device that transmitted the communication device information 220).

  Further, the restricted display information generation unit 122 generates restricted display information based on a generation command for generating restricted display information transmitted from the display update determination unit 124, and transmits the generated restricted display information to the communication device 200. .

  Further, the restriction display information generation unit 122 generates information processing device information based on the communication device information acquired from the communication device 200 and causes the communication device 200 to transmit the information processing device information. Note that the generation and transmission of the information processing apparatus information may be performed by, for example, another component of the control unit 108.

  The display update determination unit 124 plays a role of leading the process (2) (display update process), and determines whether or not to update the second display screen displayed on the communication device 200. When the display update determination unit 124 determines to update the second display screen, the display update determination unit 124 transmits the generation command to the limited display information generation unit 122 to generate limited display information.

  More specifically, when the first display screen is updated based on the display change information transmitted from the communication apparatus 200, the display update determination unit 124 changes the display of the updated first display screen. It is determined whether or not change contents other than the change contents indicated by the information are included. Then, when the updated first display screen includes a change content other than the change content indicated by the display change information, the display update determination unit 124 transmits the generation command to the limited display information generation unit 122 to display the limited display. Generate information.

  Further, when the first display screen is updated without being based on the display change information, the display update determination unit 124 transmits the generation command to the limited display information generation unit 122 to generate the limited display information.

  The control unit 108 includes, for example, a display processing unit 120, a limited display information generation unit 122, and a display update determination unit 124, so that the process (1) (restricted display information generation process) and the process (2) are performed. (Display update processing). Therefore, the information processing apparatus 100 includes the control unit 108, so that the control unit 108 can realize the processing related to the above-described operability improvement approach.

  The operation unit 110 is an operation unit included in the information processing apparatus 100 that enables an operation by a user. By providing the operation unit 110, the information processing apparatus 100 enables a user operation, and can perform a process desired by the user according to the user operation. Here, examples of the operation unit 110 include buttons, direction keys, or combinations thereof.

  The display unit 112 is a display unit included in the information processing apparatus 100 and displays various display screens. Examples of the screen displayed on the display unit 112 include a first display screen illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 8 and an operation screen for causing the information processing apparatus 100 to perform a desired operation. Here, examples of the display unit 112 include a liquid crystal display and an organic EL display. Further, the information processing apparatus 100 may configure the display unit 112 with a touch screen. In the above case, the display unit 112 functions as an operation display unit capable of both user operation and display.

  The information processing apparatus 100 implements processing related to the operability improvement approach according to the embodiment of the present invention, for example, with the configuration shown in FIG. Therefore, the information processing apparatus 100 can improve the operability of the user when the user performs an operation on the display screen, for example, with the configuration illustrated in FIG.

  Note that the information processing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be configured not to include the display unit 112, for example. Even in the above configuration, the information processing apparatus 100 allows the user to link the first display screen displayed on the external display device with the second display screen displayed on the communication device 200, for example. It is possible to improve user operability when performing operations on the display screen.

  In addition, the information processing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a third communication unit that communicates with an external operation device that can be operated by a user, such as a remote controller, and is transmitted from the external operation device. You may perform the process based on the external operation signal according to operation.

[Communication device 200]
FIG. 22 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, in FIG. 22, the information processing apparatus 100 is also shown.

  The communication measure 200 includes a communication unit 202, a storage unit 204, a control unit 206, an operation unit 208, and a display unit 210.

[Hardware Configuration Example of Communication Device 200]
The communication device 200 has a hardware configuration similar to that of the information processing device 100 illustrated in FIG.

  The communication unit 202 is a communication unit included in the communication device 200, and performs wired / wireless communication with the information processing device 100. Further, the communication of the communication unit 202 is controlled by the control unit 206, for example.

  Here, examples of the communication unit 202 include a LAN terminal and a transmission / reception circuit, an IEEE 802.15.1 port, a transmission / reception circuit, and the like. Although not illustrated, the communication device 200 may be configured to communicate with an external device other than the information processing device 100 using the communication unit 202 or a separate communication unit.

  The storage unit 204 is a storage unit included in the communication device 200. Here, examples of the storage unit 204 include a magnetic recording medium such as a hard disk, and a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory.

  The storage unit 204 stores various data such as external device information (communication device information), content data, and various applications. Here, FIG. 22 shows an example in which the communication device information 220 is stored in the storage unit 204.

  The control unit 206 is configured by, for example, an MPU or an integrated circuit in which various processing circuits are integrated, and plays a role of controlling the entire communication device 200. In addition, the control unit 206 includes a display processing unit 210 and a display change information generation unit 212.

  The display processing unit 210 causes the display unit 210 to display the second display screen based on the limited display information transmitted from the information processing apparatus 100. Further, the second display screen is updated based on an operation signal according to a user operation transmitted from the operation unit 208.

  In addition, the display processing unit 210 performs processing related to transmission of the communication device information 220 to the information processing device 100 and confirmation of the information processing device information acquired from the information processing device 100. Note that the processing related to the transmission of the communication device information 220 and the confirmation of the information processing device information may be performed by other components of the control unit 206, for example.

  The display change information generation unit 212 generates display change information based on an operation signal according to a user operation transmitted from the operation unit 208 and a processing result in the display processing unit 210. Then, the display change information generation unit 212 transmits the generated display change information to the information processing apparatus 100.

  The control unit 206 includes the display processing unit 210 and the display change information generation unit 212, so that the processing illustrated in FIG.

  The operation unit 208 is an operation unit included in the communication device 200 that enables an operation by a user. The communication device 200 includes the operation unit 208 to enable a user operation, and performs a process desired by the user according to the user operation. Here, examples of the operation unit 208 include a button, a direction key, or a combination thereof.

  The display unit 210 is a display unit included in the communication device 200 and displays various display screens. Examples of the screen displayed on the display unit 210 include a second display screen illustrated in FIG. 4 and the like, an operation screen for causing the communication device 200 to perform a desired operation, and the like. Here, examples of the display unit 210 include a liquid crystal display and an organic EL display. In the communication device 200, for example, the display unit 210 may be configured with a touch screen. In the above case, the display unit 210 functions as an operation display unit capable of both user operation and display.

  The communication apparatus 200 performs, for example, the process illustrated in FIG. 5 with the information processing apparatus 100 with the configuration illustrated in FIG.

  As described above, the information processing system 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the information processing apparatus 100 and the communication apparatus 200 that stores communication apparatus information (external apparatus information) and includes the operation unit 208 and the display unit 210. Have. The information processing apparatus 100 performs a process (1) (restricted display information generation process) and a process (2) (display update process), thereby displaying a first display screen displayed by the information processing apparatus 100; The second display screen displayed on the display unit of the communication device 200 is linked (or linked). Therefore, the user can operate the first display screen displayed by the information processing apparatus 100 by operating the communication apparatus 200 while viewing the second display screen displayed on the communication apparatus 200. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform the operation while alternately viewing the first display screen and the communication device 200 that performs the operation. Therefore, the information processing apparatus 100 can improve the operability of the user when the user performs an operation on the display screen.

  In addition, the information processing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention displays the second display screen on the communication apparatus 200 familiar to the user, so that the user can operate the first display screen using the familiar apparatus. Can be performed. Therefore, in the above case, user operability can be further improved.

  Furthermore, the information processing apparatus 100 sets layout suitable for the communication apparatus 200 based on the communication apparatus information acquired from the communication apparatus 200 and the display content of the first display screen (for example, a layout that facilitates user operation). Since the limited display information that has been set) is generated, the operability of the user using the communication device 200 can be significantly improved.

[Modification of Information Processing System 1000]
In the information processing system according to the embodiment of the present invention, the information processing apparatus according to the modification transmits display information corresponding to the first display screen to the communication apparatus according to the modification, and the communication apparatus according to the modification receives the information. The display information thus processed may be processed and converted into a format that can be displayed by the device itself.

  Even in the above case, the display screen to be displayed can be linked between the information processing apparatus according to the modification and the communication apparatus according to the modification. Therefore, when the user performs an operation on the display screen User operability can be improved.

  The information processing apparatus constituting the information processing system 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above includes, for example, a television receiver that receives television broadcasts, a set-top box, a hard disk recorder, a DVD recorder, and Blu-ray (registration). (Trademark) It can be applied to various devices such as video recording / playback devices such as recorders, computers such as PCs, display devices such as LCDs and organic EL displays, and portable communication devices such as mobile phones. .

  In addition, the communication device configuring the information processing system 1000 according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention includes, for example, a portable communication device such as a mobile phone or a PHS (Personal Handyphone System), an external operation device such as a remote controller, a PC, The present invention can be applied to various devices such as a computer such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant).

(Program according to an embodiment of the present invention)
[Program related to information processing apparatus]
With the program for causing a computer to function as the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the operability of the user when the user performs an operation on the display screen can be improved.

[Programs related to communication devices]
To realize an information processing system capable of improving user operability when a user performs an operation on a display screen by a program for causing a computer to function as a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Can do.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to the example which concerns. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

  For example, the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention individually includes arbitrary components of the display processing unit 120, the limited display information generation unit 122, and the display update determination unit 124 illustrated in FIG. It can also be realized by a separate processing circuit).

  In the above description, it is shown that a program (computer program) is provided for causing a computer to function as an information processing apparatus and a communication apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. A storage medium storing the program can also be provided.

  The configuration described above shows an example of the embodiment of the present invention, and naturally belongs to the technical scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Information processing apparatus 102 1st communication part 104 2nd communication part 106,204 Storage part 108,206 Control part 110,208 Operation part 120 Display processing part 122 Restriction display information part 124 Display update determination part 200 Communication apparatus 202 Communication part 210 Display unit 400 Network 1000 Information processing system

Claims (6)

A communication unit that stores external device information that defines restrictions on display and communicates with a communication device that includes an operation unit that can be operated by a user and a display unit that can display a display screen;
A display processing unit that processes one or more display information and displays a first display screen according to the processed display information;
Based on the display information corresponding to the first display screen and the restrictions defined in the external device information acquired from the communication device, the communication device can display the first corresponding to the first display screen. A limited display information generating unit for generating the limited display information for displaying the display screen of 2 and transmitting the generated limited display information to the communication device that stores the external device information;
With
When the communication unit receives display change information that indicates a change to the second display screen, transmitted from the communication device on which the second display screen is displayed based on the limited display information,
The display processing unit updates the first display screen to a display screen reflecting the change content indicated by the display change information based on the received display change information. . A display update determination unit for determining whether or not to update the second display screen displayed on the communication device;
The display update determination unit
When the first display screen is updated based on the display change information, the updated first display screen is other than the change content indicated by the display change information based on the processing result of the display processing unit. Determine whether the change is included,
When the updated first display screen includes a change content other than the change content indicated by the display change information, the limited display information corresponding to the updated first display screen is sent to the limited display information generation unit. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is generated.   When the generation instruction for generating the limited display information is transmitted from the display update determination unit, the limited display information generation unit changes other than the change content indicated by the display change information based on the processing result of the display processing unit. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein limited display information indicating only contents is generated.   When the first display screen is updated without being based on the display change information, the display update determination unit corresponds to the updated first display screen based on a processing result of the display processing unit. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the restriction display information is generated by the restriction display information generation unit. External device information that regulates display restrictions is stored, and communication with a communication device including an operation unit that can be operated by a user and a display unit that can display a display screen is possible. A display control method in an information processing apparatus for displaying a first display screen according to the display information processed and processed,
Based on the display information corresponding to the first display screen and the restrictions defined in the external device information acquired from the communication device, the communication device can display the first corresponding to the first display screen. Generating restricted display information for displaying the display screen of 2;
Transmitting the restriction display information generated in the generating step to the communication device storing the external device information;
Receiving display change information indicating changes to the second display screen transmitted from the communication device on which the second display screen is displayed based on the limited display information transmitted in the transmitting step; Steps,
When the display change information is received in the receiving step, the first display screen is updated to a display screen reflecting the change content indicated by the display change information based on the received display change information. Steps,
A display control method. External device information that regulates display restrictions is stored, and communication with a communication device including an operation unit that can be operated by a user and a display unit that can display a display screen is possible. A program that can be used for an information processing apparatus that displays a first display screen according to the display information processed and processed,
Based on the display information corresponding to the first display screen and the restrictions defined in the external device information acquired from the communication device, the communication device can display the first corresponding to the first display screen. Generating restricted display information for displaying the display screen of 2;
Transmitting the restriction display information generated in the generating step to the communication device storing the external device information;
Receiving display change information indicating changes to the second display screen transmitted from the communication device on which the second display screen is displayed based on the limited display information transmitted in the transmitting step; Step,
When the display change information is received in the receiving step, the first display screen is updated to a display screen reflecting the change content indicated by the display change information based on the received display change information. Step,
A program that causes a computer to execute.

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