JP2011188230A - Communication control system, sync equipment, and source equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce CEC communication load by CEC command data of a coordinate notification of sync equipment, in a communication system consisting of the sync equipment and source equipment that are connected using HDMI. <P>SOLUTION: A sync equipment 110 thins out CEC command data of a coordinate notification for sequentially notifying a source equipment 120 for a constant time section in accordance to the performance of the source equipment 120 or a function to be controlled. By this means, the communication load on a communication path by the CEC command data of a touch panel coordinate notification from the sync equipment 110 can be reduced without giving influence to an operation of the source equipment 120. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication control system, a sink device, and a source device that are applied to a control system that performs command control for transmitting and receiving data between a sink device and a source device connected via a multimedia interface. It is.

One of multimedia interfaces is HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface). The HDMI has a video transmission path for transmitting video data and a control communication path for communicating control command data.
As a communication standard for this control channel, CEC (Consumer Electronics)
Control) is standardized. This CEC is a bus communication standard, and various communication commands are defined by the CEC.

  In addition to the commands specified in the CEC standard, CEC commands have a command area in which a manufacturer that manufactures a CEC standard product can freely create commands. Using commands, bidirectional control can be performed between a source device that outputs video and a sink device that receives video connected via an HDMI cable. (For example, refer nonpatent literature 1).

  On the other hand, as a method of controlling the source device from the sink device with CEC, the sink device displays a free cursor on the display of the sink device that displays the video output from the source device, moves the free cursor with the remote control, and moves the free cursor. A method has been proposed in which the operation information is notified to the source device by a CEC command and the source device is controlled (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In this method, information on pressing a free cursor on the display is normalized to XY coordinates as coordinate information, and the coordinate information is transmitted to the source device as a CEC command to control the source device from the sink device. .

  If this method is applied, it is possible to control the source device by the touch panel. A touch panel is mounted on the display of the sink device, the touch panel pressing information is normalized to XY coordinates (see, for example, FIG. 2), and this coordinate information is transmitted to the source device as a CEC command from the sink device. Control source equipment.

JP 2009-135726 A

High-Definition Multimedia Interface Specification Version 1.3c

By using the conventional technology, it is possible to realize touch panel control between the sink device and the source device on the CEC communication path. However, when the touch panel control is performed, the source device transmits the touch panel pressing information of the sink device. In order to detect, it is necessary for the sink device to sequentially notify the source device of the pressed current coordinate information during the pressed section (see, for example, FIG. 4). However, since the CEC transmission rate is as low as about 400 bps, there is a problem that when the above-described operation is realized by the conventional technology, the communication load on the CEC communication path increases due to the coordinate information notified sequentially. It was.

  The present invention has been made to solve the conventional problems, and reduces the communication load on the communication path due to the CEC command of touch panel coordinate notification from the sink device in the communication system between the HDMI-connected source device and the sink device. An object of the present invention is to provide a communication control system and apparatus capable of performing notification of touch panel control efficiently.

  In order to achieve the above object, a communication control system of the present invention is a communication control system in which a sink device and a source device perform data communication via a communication path, and the sink device is a position indicating a pressed position. A touch panel that outputs data, and a sink device control unit that outputs the position data output by the touch panel to the source device via the communication path, and the touch panel has the position while the touch panel is pressed. The sink device control unit outputs polling data indicating that the touch panel is continuously pressed every predetermined time when the touch panel is pressed for a predetermined time. A configuration for outputting to the source device via the communication path is provided.

  According to the present invention, in a communication system between an HDMI-connected sink device and a source device, coordinate notification CEC command data sequentially notified from the sink device to the source device is matched with the performance of the source device and the function to be controlled. By thinning out a certain interval, the communication load on the communication path by the CEC command of the touch panel coordinate notification from the sink device can be reduced without affecting the operation of the source device, and the communication occupation rate on the CEC by the coordinate notification can be suppressed. There is an effect that can be done.

Configuration diagram of a communication control system in an embodiment of the present invention Touch panel configuration diagram of sink device in an embodiment of the present invention Processing flow diagram for explaining the operation of the communication control system in the embodiment of the present invention The figure which showed the communication sequence of the communication control system in the prior art The figure which showed the communication sequence of the negotiation process of the communication control system in embodiment of this invention The figure which showed the communication sequence of the touchscreen coordinate notification of the communication control system in embodiment of this invention The figure which showed the example of the CEC command in embodiment of this invention

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The communication control system according to the present embodiment is a communication control system in which a sink device and a source device perform data communication via a communication path.

  In the following description, the communication path conforms to the HDMI CEC standard, and this communication path is a control communication path for communicating control command data.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication control system in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication control system 10 has a configuration in which a sink device 110 and a source device device 120 are connected via an HDMI transmission path 100.

  The HDMI transmission path 100 includes two video transmission paths for transmitting video / audio content data and a CEC communication path for communicating CEC command data.

  The sink device 110 includes a control unit 111 as a sink device control unit, an HDMI transmission unit 112, a video / audio reception processing unit 113, a display 114, a touch panel 115, a speaker 116, and a locator 117.

  The control unit 111 includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU executes the computer program stored in the ROM while using the RAM as a work area.

  Such a control unit 111 controls the video / audio reception processing unit 113, the display 114, the touch panel 115, and the speaker 116, and performs processing related to the sink device 110.

  The processing related to the sink device 110 is performed in this embodiment, for example, transmission / reception processing of CEC command data for performing communication control of the source device 120 and reception processing of video / audio content data transmitted from the source device 120. There is general processing.

  The HDMI transmission unit 112 performs communication on the HDMI transmission path with the source device 120 by the control unit 111 performing control processing.

  In other words, the HDMI transmission unit 112 controls the control unit 111 to control video / audio content transmitted from the source device 120 through the HDMI transmission path 100 through the video transmission path of the HDMI transmission path 100. The data is transmitted to the video / audio reception processing unit 113 and the CEC command data transmitted through the CEC communication path of the HDMI transmission path 100 is separately transmitted to the control unit 111.

  Further, the HDMI transmission unit 112 transmits the CEC command data transmitted from the control unit 111 to the CEC communication path of the HDMI transmission path 100.

  The video / audio reception processing unit 113 is a signal processor, and the video content data is displayed on the display 114 as video with respect to the video / audio content data transmitted from the source device 120 by the control unit 111 performing control processing. The audio content data is converted to audio and output to the speaker 116.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the touch panel 115 is arranged on the display 114. Since the touch panel 115 is made of a transparent material, the operator can visually recognize the buttons displayed on the display 114 through the touch panel 115.

  When the operator presses the position where this button is displayed on the touch panel 115, the touch panel 115 detects this and notifies the control unit 111. That is, data indicating the position where the touch panel 115 is currently pressed by the operator (position data) is normalized to the XY coordinates and notified to the control unit 111 (in the example shown in FIG. 2, the X ′ and Y ′ coordinates). 221 is pressed).

The locator 117 is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, calculates the current position of the sink device 110, and sends current position information indicating the calculated current position to the control unit 111. The control unit 111 performs route navigation processing to the destination set in the sink device 110 based on the map data stored in the ROM and the current position information from the locator 117.

However, since the sink device 110 according to the present embodiment will be described below as a car navigation system, the locator 117 is illustrated. However, the sink device 110 does not necessarily include the locator, and the locator provided outside. It is good also as a structure connectable with. Alternatively, the sink device 110 may be a device that can process video data and audio data that can be transmitted using a communication method that conforms to the HDMI standard. For example, a display device that does not have a navigation function May be used.
Similarly, the display 114, the touch panel 115, and the speaker 116 may be configured to be connectable to the sink device 110 as external devices.

  The source device 120 is a device capable of transmitting and receiving video / audio content data and CEC command data to the HDMI transmission path 100, and is a BD player, for example.

The source device 120 includes a control unit 121 as a source device control unit, a video / audio transmission processing unit 122, an HDMI transmission unit 123, and a disc playback unit 124.
The control unit 121 includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU executes the computer program stored in the ROM while using the RAM as a work area. Such a control unit 121 controls the video / audio transmission processing unit 122, the HDMI transmission unit 123, and the disk playback unit 124, and performs processing related to the source device 120.

  The processing related to the source device 120 includes all processing performed in this embodiment, such as transmission / reception processing of CEC command data for performing communication control of the sink device 110 and transmission of video / audio content data to the sink device 110, for example. is there.

  The video / audio transmission processing unit 122 outputs the video / audio content data to be transmitted to the sink device 110 to the HDMI transmission unit 123 under the control of the control unit 121.

  The disc playback unit 124 is a deck that reads data recorded on these discs from a disc-type recording medium such as a BD disc inserted into the source device 120 and plays back video / audio content data.

  However, since the source device in the present embodiment is described as a BD player, the disc playback unit 124 is illustrated. However, instead of the disc playback unit 124, another device that outputs video data and audio data. May be applied.

  Any other device may be used as long as it can output video data and audio data that can be transmitted using a communication method that conforms to the HDMI standard, and is provided in an external device or source device (not shown). It may be configured to be connectable to the data reproducing apparatus so that each data taken in from the external device or the data reproducing apparatus can be used.

  The video / audio transmission processing unit 122 is, for example, a signal processor that outputs video / audio content data input from the disc playback unit 124.

  The HDMI transmission unit 123 transmits the video / audio content data output from the video / audio transmission processing unit 122 to the video transmission path of the HDMI transmission path 100 by the control unit 121 performing control processing.

  Further, the HDMI transmission unit 123 transmits the CEC command data transmitted from the control unit 121 to the CEC communication path of the HDMI transmission path 100, and receives the CEC command from the sink device 110 received from the CEC communication path of the HDMI transmission path 100. Data is transmitted to the control unit 121.

  The processing operation of the communication control system configured as described above will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3, 5, 6, and 7. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a process flow diagram of the communication control system according to the embodiment of the present invention. 5 and 6 are diagrams showing details of the CEC command data communication sequence in the present embodiment. Further, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of CEC command data.
In the following description, first, the overall flow of processing will be described with reference to FIG. 3, and the sequence of CEC command data in the processing will be described later with reference to FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG.

  When the sink device 110 and the source device 120 start notification of touch panel pressing coordinates using CEC command data, the sink device 110 and the source device 120 negotiate information necessary for notification of touch panel pressing coordinates through CEC command data communication (step S301).

  In step S301, a thinning interval Tβ for notification of touch panel press coordinates that the sink device 110 transmits to the source device 120 is determined. The thinning interval Tβ is used in the determination in step S306 described later.

  When the touch panel of the sink device 110 is pressed (step S302), the sink device 110 converts the pressed touch panel position information into X and Y coordinate data to the source device 120, and the CEC command data indicates the touch panel press coordinates. A notification is transmitted (step S303).

  Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the touch panel is being pressed (step S304). At this point, if the touch panel has been pressed, the source device is notified of CEC command data that it has left the touch panel (step S309), and the next touch panel press is awaited (step S302).

  If it is determined in step S304 that the touch panel is being pressed, it is confirmed whether the time Tα, which is a predetermined time, has elapsed since the touch panel pressing information transmitted to the source device last time. If YES in step S306, the process advances to step S306. If the time Tα has not elapsed, the process returns to step S304 (S305). Here, the time Tα is a time that the sink device 110 determines and determines according to the function of its own device.

  For the time comparison with time Tα performed in step S305, when step S305 is performed for the first time every time the touch panel is pressed (step S302) in this processing flow, the time since the transmission of the CEC command data in step S303 When the processing of step S305 is performed after the processing of step S307 or step S308 described below is performed, the time since the transmission of the CEC command data of each previous step S307 or step S308 is performed. And time Tα.

  In step S306, it is confirmed whether or not the thinning-out interval Tβ has elapsed from the time after the sink device 110 transmits the touch panel pressing coordinate notification using the CEC command data to the source device 120.

  Here, it is assumed that the relationship of Tα <Tβ is established with respect to the time Tα in the process of step S305 and the thinning interval Tβ in the process of step S306.

  For the time comparison with the thinning interval Tβ performed in step S306, when step S306 is performed for the first time every time the touch panel is pressed (step S302) in this processing flow, the CEC command data in step S303 is transmitted. When the process of step S307 described below is performed after the process of step S307 described below is performed, the time after the CEC command data transmission of the previous step S307 is compared with the time Tβ. Become.

  In step S306, in the comparison, when the thinning interval Tβ or more has elapsed, the sink device 110 transmits a notification of the current touch panel pressing coordinates to the source device 120 (step S307). Thereafter, the process returns to step S304.

  In step S306, in the comparison, when the thinning interval Tβ or more has not elapsed, the sink device 110 determines that the touch panel pressing coordinate notification is in the thinning interval, and sends a polling command, which is CEC command data, to the source device 120. Transmit (step S308). Thereafter, the process returns to step S304.

  The polling command transmitted in step S308 is CEC command data including only data indicating the transmission source (sink device 110) and the transmission destination (source device 120). Since the polling command has a shorter command data length than the CEC command data in the notification of touch panel press coordinates, the communication load on the CEC communication path can be reduced by transmitting the polling command.

  Next, a configuration example of CEC command data used in the sequence diagrams shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The command data indicated by the command name <Panel Info> indicates to the source device 120 the allowable range of the interval (thinning interval) at which the sink device 110 thins out command data of the command name <Touch On> notified to the source device 120. This is command data for notification, and the parameters included in the command data are composed of a <Touch On> minimum notification interval and a <Touch On> maximum notification interval.

  Here, the <Touch On> minimum notification interval is the minimum time of the thinning interval, and the <Touch On> maximum notification interval is the maximum time of the thinning interval.

  The command data indicated by the command name <Panel Set Request> is command data for designating a thinning interval of command data of the command name <Touch On> that the sink device 110 notifies the source device 120 of.

  The parameters included in the command data are configured from a <Touch On> notification interval request. In the <Touch On> notification interval request, a value that falls within the allowable range of the command data parameter of the command name <Panel Info> is set. .

  The command data indicated by the command name <Panel Set Answer> is command data in response to the command name <Panel Set Request>.

The parameter is composed of a <Touch On> notification interval response, and the value of the parameter <Touch On> notification interval request of the command name <Panel Set Request> is set. This value is the command name <Touch On> of the sink device 110.
Command data notification interval (thinning interval) Tβ.

  If the sink device 110 cannot set the same value as the parameter <Touch On> notification interval request of the command name <Panel Set Request>, the sink device 110 can be set and the <Touch On> notification The sink device 110 determines and sets a value close to the interval request.

  The command data indicated by the command name <Touch On> is command data for the sink device 110 to notify the source device 120 of the coordinates of the touch panel that is currently pressed. The parameter is composed of an X coordinate and a Y coordinate of the touch panel.

  The command data indicated by the command name <Touch Off> is command data for notifying that the sink device 110 has completed the pressing of the touch panel to the source device 120 and has been released from the touch panel.

  Command data indicated by the command name <polling> is command data defined by the CEC standard. This command has the shortest command length in command data defined by CEC.

  Next, details of the processing flow shown in FIG. 3 will be described using the communication sequence diagrams shown in FIGS.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a communication sequence of CEC command data performed in the negotiation process in step S301.

  The sink device 110 first notifies the permissible range of the command data with the command name <Touch On> using the command data with the command name <Panel Info> (step S501).

  The source device 120 that has received the command data of the command name <Panel Info> determines an interval to be thinned out for the command data of the command name <Touch On> according to the function of the own device, and sets the thinning interval to the command name. Request is made with command data of <Panel Set Request> (step S502).

  For example, a method of setting the thinning interval set by the command data of the command name <Panel Set Request> by the source device 120 to be less than the period for detecting the long press of the long press dedicated button drawn by the source device 120 is considered. It is done.

  The sink device 110 that has received the command data of the command name <Panel Set Request> responds to the source device 120 with the command data of the command name <Panel Set Answer> (step S503).

  The parameter <Touch On> notification interval response of this command data becomes the command data thinning interval Tβ of the command name <Touch On>.

  The above is the communication sequence of the negotiation process performed in step S301. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a communication sequence of CEC command data when the touch panel is pressed. This communication sequence can be executed after the communication sequence of FIG. 5 is performed.

When the touch panel of the sink device 110 is pressed (step S601), the sink device 1
10 transmits the pressed coordinates to the source device 120 using the command data of the command name <Touch On> (step S602A). In the example shown in FIG. 6, the operator continues to press the touch panel until step S603.

  Thereafter, the sink device 110 transmits command data of the command name <polling> to the source device 120 until the time of the thinning interval Tβ is reached at the time Tα (steps S602B to S602D).

  When the thinning interval Tβ elapses from step S602A, the sink device 110 transmits the XY coordinates of the currently pressed touch panel position to the source device 120 using command data of the command name <Touch On> (step S602E).

  Thereafter, the sink device 110 transmits command data of the command name <polling> to the source device 120 until the time of the thinning interval Tβ is reached again at the interval of time Tα (steps S602F to S602H).

  When the thinning interval Tβ elapses from step S602E, the sink device 110 transmits the XY coordinates of the currently pressed touch panel position to the source device 120 using the command data of the command name <Touch On> (step S602I).

  Thereafter, when the pressing of the touch panel is completed (step S603), the sink device 110 transmits command data of the command name <Touch Off> to the source device, and the touch panel pressing coordinate notification process is ended (step S604).

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the sink device 110 is notified only of the thinning interval Tβ specified by the source device 120 with the command data of the command name <Touch On>, which is the notification of the touched coordinates of the touch panel. During the interval of the thinning-out interval Tβ, the command data of the command name <Touch On> is thinned out, and instead of the command data of the command name <polling>, information indicating only that the touch panel is pressed is provided in the source device 120. To the source device 120 can be notified to the source device 120.

  The command data with the command name <polling> is the shortest command data among the CEC command data defined by the CEC standard.

  As a result, the communication load on the CEC communication path can be reduced as compared with the conventional process (FIG. 4) in which only command data of the command name <Touch On> is notified.

  Further, the function assigned to an arbitrary button (for example, 222 or 223 in FIG. 2) drawn by the source device 120 changes its operation depending on the time for which the button is pressed (this time is referred to as Tθ for convenience of explanation). In this case, the thinning section Tβ is set to be less than Tθ so that the source device 120 can receive the command data of the command name <Touch On> with less than Tθ.

  As a result, the source device can determine whether the button is pressed at the position of the button for a period equal to or greater than Tθ, or whether the button is pressed out of the position of the button below Tθ. Can also be supported.

In the present embodiment, the command data transmission interval Tβ of the command name <Touch On> is determined by the time specified by the source device 120. However, a threshold value at which the relative coordinate of the pressed coordinate is changed is determined. If it exceeds, command data of command name <Touch On> may be transmitted.

  In this case, this threshold value may be a fixed value for the sink device 110, or may be determined by a negotiation process between the sink device 110 and the source device 120 performed in step S301 in the process shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the command data transmission interval Tβ of the command name <Touch On> is determined by the negotiation process (step S301). However, a method in which the sink device 110 determines in a fixed manner in advance may be used.

  In this embodiment, the negotiation process (step S301) for determining the thinning interval Tβ (command data <Touch On> command data transmission interval) is performed before the first touch panel coordinate notification. Although it is performed only once, a method of performing a negotiation process (step S301) every time notification of touch panel coordinates is performed may be used.

  6 shows an example in which the sink device 110 determines the transmission interval (time Tα) between the command data of the command name <Touch On> and the command data of the command name <polling> in FIG. Alternatively, Tα may be determined by a negotiation process between the sink device 110 and the source device 120 in step S301 in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, the command data of the command name <Touch On> and the command data of the command name <polling> are transmitted during the touch panel pressing period at the transmission interval Tα. Depending on the function, there may be a case where it is only necessary to determine whether or not the button to be drawn has been pressed.

  Therefore, a command name <Touch On> command data is transmitted when the touch panel is pressed, a <Touch Off> command data is transmitted when the touch panel is released, and a command is not transmitted during the touch panel pressing period. A method may be used in which only command data of the command name <Touch On> is transmitted when the touch panel is pressed.

  Further, the configuration of the CEC command data in FIG. 7 is an example, and is not limited to this example.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated in detail, the said description is an illustration in all the meanings, and is not restrictive. It will be appreciated that many other modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

  As described above, the communication control system, the sink device, and the source device according to the present invention are systems having a sink device and a source device connected by HDMI, and the touch panel control signal is transmitted from the sink device to the source device by CEC. This is suitable for a coordinate notification system.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Communication control system 100 HDMI transmission path 110 Sink apparatus 120 Source apparatus 111,121 Control part 112,123 HDMI transmission part 113 Video / audio reception process part 114 Display 115 Touch panel 116 Speaker 117 Locator 122 Video / audio transmission process part 124 Disc playback part 221 Pressed coordinates 222,223 Press button 40 User

Claims (5)

A communication control system in which a sink device and a source device perform data communication via a communication path,
The sink device includes a touch panel that outputs position data indicating a pressed position, and a sink device control unit that outputs the position data output by the touch panel to the source device via the communication path,
The touch panel continues to output the position data while the touch panel is pressed, and the sink device control unit performs the predetermined time when the touch panel is pressed for a predetermined time. A communication control system, characterized in that polling data indicating that the touch panel is continuously pressed is output to the source device via the communication path.   The sink device control unit outputs the position information to the source device at each thinning interval when the output of the polling data is continued and another thinning interval, which is another predetermined time, elapses. The communication control system according to claim 1.   The communication control system according to claim 1, wherein the polling data includes only data indicating the sink device and data indicated by the source device. A touch panel that outputs position data indicating a pressed position; and a sink device control unit that outputs the position data output from the touch panel to the source device via the communication path, the touch panel being pressed by the touch panel The sink device control unit continues to press the touch panel every predetermined time when the touch panel is pressed for a predetermined time. When the polling data output is continued and the output of the polling data is continued and the time of the thinning interval, which is another predetermined time, elapses, a communication path is connected to the sink device that outputs the position information at each thinning interval. Connected through
A source device comprising: a source device control unit that sets the thinning interval and transmits the set thinning interval to the sink device via the communication path. Connected to the source device via the communication path,
A touch panel that outputs position data indicating a pressed position; and a sink device control unit that outputs the position data output by the touch panel to the source device via the communication path,
The touch panel continues to output the position data while the touch panel is pressed, and the sink device control unit performs the predetermined time when the touch panel is pressed for a predetermined time. The polling data indicating that the touch panel is continuously pressed is output to the source device via the communication path, and the output of the polling data is continued and thinning out for another predetermined time set by the source device. When the interval time has elapsed, the sink device outputs the position information to the source device at every thinning interval.