JP2012034041A - Video reproduction control apparatus and video reproduction control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a video reproduction control apparatus and a video reproduction control method capable of enabling users to easily reproduce a content by operating a control point.SOLUTION: A video reproduction control apparatus comprises: receiving means for receiving URI information indicating one content of one or more contents disclosed by a server; reproduction control means for making video reproducing apparatuses receive the content from the server and reproduce the content based on the URI information received by the receiving means; and storage means for retaining list information including a collection of names of the video reproducing apparatuses, acquiring the position information of the respective video reproducing apparatuses, and associating and storing this position information with the names of the respective video reproducing apparatuses. Display means for rearranging the collection of the names in the list information according to the position information and displaying the collection and the reproduction control means receive a specification from a user for the display by the display means and make the video reproducing apparatus corresponding to the specified name receive the content.

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a video playback control apparatus and a video playback control method for causing a video playback apparatus to play back content.

  In recent years, various digital AV devices such as digital TVs and HDD recorders are compatible with home networks, and it is possible to view content recorded on an HDD recorder on a digital TV. As one of such usage forms, a PC or a mobile phone is operated as a control point (see DMC (Digital Media Controller) in the DLNA guidelines), and content in a media server device such as an HDD recorder is transferred to a digital TV or the like. There is something to play and watch on media renderer device.

  For example, in the content described in Patent Document 1, when a reproduction request is made from a portable terminal to the media server in the home media distribution system, the media server detects the position of the user's portable terminal, and the detected position information From the electronic devices in the home, an electronic device suitable for video / audio / data reproduction is selected, and the video / audio / data is distributed to the selected electronic device. The media server holds the position information of the playback device, and determines the playback device based on the combination with the position information notified from the portable terminal.

  On the other hand, there is a demand for technology that makes it easy for a user to operate a control point to perform content playback processing, but no means for realizing such demand is known.

JP 2002-49556 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a video playback control apparatus and a video playback control method that allow a user to easily perform content playback processing by operating a control point.

  In order to solve the above problem, according to the video playback control apparatus of the embodiment, receiving means for receiving URI information indicating one content among one or more contents published by a server, and receiving by the receiving means Reproduction control means for causing the video reproduction device to receive and reproduce the content from the server based on the URI information, and holding list information including a set of names of the video reproduction devices, and position information of each of the video reproduction devices Storage means for storing each of the position information in association with the name of the video reproduction device, and a display means for sorting and displaying a set of names in the list information according to the position information. And the reproduction control means receives a designation from the user for the display on the display means, and sends the content to the video reproduction apparatus corresponding to the designated name. Received was to be played.

The figure which shows the structure of the home network in embodiment. The block diagram which shows the outline of the video display apparatus of the embodiment. The figure which shows the structure of the mobile telephone in the embodiment. The figure which shows the structure of an apparatus management table. The figure which shows the condition which has received ID from a lighting fixture. The figure which shows an object tree in embodiment. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram for explaining an instruction for reproducing content by a mobile phone with respect to the video display device according to the embodiment. The figure which shows the structure of the mobile telephone in another embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
(First embodiment)
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In recent years, home digital AV devices, digital TVs, hard disk recorders, and the like are connected to each other via a home network and operate in cooperation with each other. As a specification for interconnecting devices, UPnP is often used. UPnP defines a device that models a device that provides a service related to a service indicating a function provided by the device, and a control point that uses the service. Media devices, media renderers, and the like are defined as devices targeting AV equipment.

  The control point can recognize the existence of the device and the type of the device using a protocol called SSDP. Further, by acquiring XML files called device description and service description from the device, the details of the operating service are recognized.

  The media server publishes data such as videos and images so that the control point can get the media server content. A content directory service (CDS) is a service used by a media server to publish content information. Objects published by CDS are called containers and items.

  An item is an object representing one title. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of an object tree. A container represents a collection of objects, and can include items and other containers. An object disclosed by the CDS is configured on a tree from the highest level container. An identifier called an object ID that is unique within the CDS is assigned to the container or item.

  The control point can acquire information on an object disclosed by the CDS by a Browse action. The Browse action is called by specifying the object ID of the container or item from which information is acquired. HTTP or RTP can be used to acquire content from the media server. In this embodiment, description is made assuming that the content transfer is performed by HTTP. In addition to the Browse action, a Search action is also defined as a method for acquiring information on objects disclosed by the CDS. The Search action returns information on an object that satisfies a condition specified by the control point. However, unlike the Browse action, the Search action is optional and not executable for all media servers. Whether or not the Search action can be executed can be confirmed by acquiring the service description.

  The media renderer receives the playback instruction from the control point and performs playback processing of the content published by the media server. The control point uses an AV transport service (AVT) of the media renderer to control the playback operation. AVT provides several actions for controlling playback operations. The SetAVTransportURI action sets information on a URI in which content data to be played back is disclosed. The SetAVTransportURI action can use attribute information such as a title name together with URI information as an argument. However, what attribute information is set as an argument differs depending on the control point, and attribute information may not be set at all. Is possible. The Play action indicates the start of playback, and other actions such as Stop and Pause are provided.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an arrangement of rooms in which a home network is operating and devices installed in the room according to the present embodiment. In the living room, a digital TV 1, a PC (Personal computer) 3, and a wireless access point 5 are placed. The digital TV 1 is also placed in the child room and the bedroom, and they are connected to each other via a wireless access point 5 in the living room. Each digital television 1 has a media renderer function. The PC 3 has a media server function. In addition, a mobile phone 4 having a control point function is also shown in the living room and the child room. These mobile phones 4 can also communicate with each device connected to the home network via the wireless access point 5. In general, many wireless access points also have a wired connection function, and the same applies to the wireless access point 5.

  Next, the configuration of the video display device (video playback device) according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the digital television 1. The digital television 1 includes a tuner 101, a decoder 102, an HDMI (High-definition multimedia interface) terminal 103, a D terminal 104, a composite terminal 105, an AV switch 106, a control module 107, a video processing module 108, an audio processing module 109, and a monitor 110. , A speaker 111, an OSD (On Screen Display) module 112, a remote control receiving module 113, a memory 114, and a network terminal 115. The digital TV 1 in the living room will be described below as being connected to the wireless access point 5 by wire.

  The tuner 101 selects and demodulates a signal having a predetermined frequency from the broadcast signal received by the antenna 10. The decoder 102 decodes the signal demodulated by the tuner 101. The HDMI terminal 103 is an external terminal used for transmitting a video signal by HDMI connection. The D terminal 104 is an external terminal used for video signal transmission. The composite terminal 105 is an external terminal used for transmitting a composite video signal. The AV switch 106 receives a signal decoded by the decoder 102 and a signal input via the HDMI terminal 103, the D terminal 104, and the composite terminal 105. The AV switch 106 outputs a desired video signal to the video processing module 108 and an audio signal to the audio processing module 109 in accordance with an instruction from the control module 107.

  The video processing module 108 processes the video signal input from the AV switch 106 for display on the monitor 110. The control module 107 controls the display of the video signal processed by the video processing module 108 on the monitor 110.

  The audio processing module 109 performs audio processing to output from the speaker 111 the audio signal input from the AV switch. The control module 107 controls to output the audio signal processed by the audio processing module 109 to the speaker 111. The OSD module 112 generates graphic data to be displayed on the screen of the monitor 110 in accordance with an instruction from the control module 107. The OSD module 112 outputs graphic data to the video processing module 108. The OSD module 112 generates, for example, a menu screen as graphic data. The remote control receiving module 113 receives the infrared signal transmitted from the remote control 20, extracts the remote control signal, and outputs it to the control module 107. The control module 113 controls each unit based on reception of the remote control signal. The memory 114 records various information.

  The network terminal 115 transmits / receives UPnP messages and content data to / from devices connected to the network 5. The network terminal 115 is connected to the control module 107. The control module 107 processes the UPnP message received via the network terminal 115 and transmits the UPnP message to the network 5 via the network terminal 115. When receiving the content data from the media server via the network 5, the control module 107 processes the HTTP header and the like and then outputs it to the AV switch 106. The control module 107 temporarily records content data in a buffer in the control module 107 and outputs it to the AV switch 106. This is because jitter occurs when the control module 107 receives content data via the network 5.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the mobile phone 4 in the present embodiment. A wireless LAN module 31, a control unit 32, a device management table 33, a display 34, and a visible light receiving module 35 are provided.

  The wireless LAN module 31 is used to communicate with other devices connected to the home network via the wireless access point 5. The control unit 32 transmits a message to another device via the wireless LAN module 31 and processes the message received from the other device to execute the UPnP protocol. Further, when the control unit detects a device on the home network using the UPnP protocol, the control unit holds device information in the device management table 33. User operations are performed using the display 34. The display 34 is a liquid crystal display having a touch panel function. The control unit 32 displays an operation screen on the display 34, receives an operation result performed by the user as an input, and performs processing according to the operation result. The visible light receiving module receives a visible light communication signal and outputs received data to the control unit. The visible light receiving module 35 receives the ID unique to the lighting fixture transmitted from the lighting fixture in the room where the device is placed, and notifies the control unit 32 of the ID.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the device management table. The device management table stores information on devices discovered by the control unit using the UPnP protocol. For each device, an ID with a unique value set for internal management, device type information with either a media server or media renderer value, and a fringly name obtained from the device description are set for the device type. A friendly name, a device-specific value UDN (unique device name), and location information, which is information indicating the location of the device. The position information is an ID unique to the luminaire received by the device from the luminaire by visible light communication, and is obtained by storing the value described in the device description by the device. When the information received from the mobile phone is the same as the ID received by the visible light communication, the mobile phone determines that the device exists in the same room as the mobile phone.

  FIG. 5 illustrates a situation in which each device in the living room receives an ID transmitted from the lighting fixture L. The luminaire L performs signal transmission by superimposing it on the illumination, for example, using an LED as an effect element. Each lighting fixture is assigned a unique ID, and the ID is transmitted. Each of the digital television 1, the PC 3, and the mobile phone 4 in the living room is provided with a visible light receiving module so that an ID transmitted from the lighting fixture L can be received.

  Next, an operation in which the cellular phone 4 operates as a control point for the media server, and the content recorded on the PC 3 operating as the media server is played back on the digital television 1 operating as a media renderer will be described. FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram in this case.

  First, the user selects a desired media server from a media server list displayed on a display (not shown) based on the device list shown in FIG. 4 in which the media servers connected to the mobile phone 4 via the network 5 are recorded. Select. In addition, the user selects a media renderer that reproduces content published by the media server on the mobile phone 4. Here, a case where the user selects the PC 3 as the media server and the digital television 1 as the media renderer will be described.

  The mobile terminal 4 sends a CDS Browse action request to the PC 3 from the network terminal 115 to the topmost container of the object tree recorded in the PC 3.

  The PC 3 includes attribute information such as title name, genre information, object ID that is an identifier in the CDS, object ID (parent ID) of the highest container, and content included in the highest container in the object tree. Information such as URI used for data transfer is transmitted to the mobile phone 4 as a CDS Browse action response. The cellular phone 4 calls a Browse action request to the PC 3 a plurality of times as necessary as the lower container is selected from the uppermost container in the object tree, and collects information on the content published by the PC 3. .

  The mobile phone 4 displays an object list included in an arbitrary container on the screen. The user selects an object corresponding to the reproduction target content to be reproduced on the digital television 1 using the mobile phone 4.

  When the mobile phone 4 determines an object corresponding to the content to be played back, the mobile phone 4 notifies the digital television 1 of URI information and attribute information used for playback processing on the digital television 1 out of information acquired by the Browse action response regarding this object. . The mobile phone 4 calls an AVT SetAVTransportURI action request of the ATV of the digital television 1 to notify the digital television 1 of URI information and attribute information. At this time, the control module 107 and the network terminal 115 function as a receiving unit for URI information and attribute information. When the SetAVTransportURI action is called, the digital television 1 records URI information and attribute information in the memory 114. Thereafter, the digital television 1 transmits an AVT SetAVTransportURI response to the mobile phone 4.

  Next, the mobile phone 4 transmits an AVT Play request to the digital television 1 based on a request for content reproduction processing on the digital television 1 by the user. The digital television 1 calls an AVT Play action and transmits an AVT Play response to the mobile phone 4. The digital television 1 transmits an HTTP GET request to the PC 3 based on the URI of the object corresponding to the reproduction target content recorded in the PC 3 notified by the SetAVTransportURI action. The digital television 1 acquires the data of the reproduction target content by the HTTP response received from the PC 3. The control module 107 functions as a means for acquiring reproduction target content data. The digital television 1 may transmit an HTTP GET request to the PC 3 at the time when the SetAVTransportURI action is called, and shorten the time from when the AVT Play action is called to when the playback processing of the playback target content starts. .

  The control module 107 outputs the data portion of the reproduction target content acquired from the PC 3 to the video processing module 108 and the audio processing module 109 via the AV switch 106 and displays the reproduction target content on the monitor 110. The control module 107 and the video processing module 108 function as content data display control means.

  In parallel with the playback processing of the playback target content, the control module 107 searches for information on the container to which the item having the URI specified for the playback target content being played back belongs. Here, a container to which an item corresponding to the reproduction target content belongs is referred to as a search target container. The control module 107 functions as a container search unit. The control module 107 searches the search target container after the AVT SetAVTransportURI action is called, or after the AVT Play action is called.

  The control module 107 stops the reproduction processing of the reproduction target content when reception of all the data regarding the reproduction target content is completed by the HTTP GET response or when the AVT Stop action is called.

  A process when the mobile phone 4 is operated in the living room and the content of the PC 3 is reproduced on the living room TV will be described. The user requests a list of media renderers to select a media renderer to be played. In order to display a list of media renderers, the control unit 32 reads information on devices whose device type is the media renderer from the device management table 33. Next, devices in the same room are extracted from the value of the position information field. If a device in the same room is found, that device is displayed first, and other devices are displayed in succession. As a result, the living room TV in the same living room is displayed at the top. Further, for the devices in the same room, a display that allows the user to easily distinguish may be performed, such as changing the background color. When the user selects a media renderer from the list of media renderers, the control unit 32 checks whether the selected media renderer is a device in the same room from the information in the device management table 33, and if it is not the same room, displays a confirmation message. To do. Selecting a media renderer displays a list of media servers to select the next content to play. The media server does not need to be in the same room, so location information is not checked. When a media server is selected, the control unit executes a CDS: Browse action on the selected media server as in the above sequence to acquire content information, and displays a content list on the display. When content is selected from the displayed content list, the control unit 32 first calls a reproduction request to the selected media server.

  In this way, when selecting a media server, the user can play back the content by adding a control such as displaying a list reflecting the location information of the device or displaying a confirmation message when selected. This makes it easier to select a device because it is possible to avoid accidentally selecting a media server in a different room when the user is supposed to operate the device.

(Second Embodiment)
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 to 8. FIG. Description of the parts common to the first embodiment is omitted.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another configuration of the mobile phone 4 in the embodiment. A wireless LAN module 31, a control unit 32, a device management table 33, a display 34, and an infrared communication module 85 are provided.

  That is, the mobile phone 4 has an infrared communication module 85, and communicates with other devices using infrared rays. When the control unit 32 discovers a new device using the UPnP protocol, the control unit 32 tries to communicate with the discovered device via the infrared communication module 85. In order to identify the device, the UDN acquired from the device description is transmitted, and when a response is obtained, information indicating that communication is possible is set as position information in the device management table 33.

  When the user selects the media renderer by operating the mobile phone, the media renderer list is displayed based on the information in the device management table 33 as in the case of the first embodiment, and the confirmation message at the time of selection is displayed. Can be done.

  In the second embodiment, the media renderer that is passively close is detected via the lighting fixture L in the first embodiment, whereas the media renderer that is actively close is detected using the infrared communication module 85.

  According to this embodiment, in order to operate the media server and the media renderer from the control point and play the content in the media server with the media renderer, the user can easily select the intended device when selecting the media renderer to play. become able to.

  A device detection function for detecting a device connected by a network, a position information detection function for detecting the position information of the device detected by the device detection function, and a device operation function for performing an operation on the device detected by the device detection function; The video playback control apparatus has been described in which the device operation function changes operations such as display according to the position information detected by the position information detection function.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, In the range which does not deviate from the summary, it can implement in various modifications.
Various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the above-described embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, constituent elements according to different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Digital television, 3 ... PC, 4 ... Mobile phone, 5 ... Wireless access point, 31 ... Wireless LAN module, 32 ... Control part, 33 ... Equipment management table, 34 ... Display, 35 ... Visible light receiving module, 85 ... Infrared communication module 107 ... control module 108 ... video processing module 108, 110 ... monitor, 112 ... OSD module, 114 ... memory, 115 ... network terminal, L ... lighting fixture.

Claims (5)

Receiving means for receiving URI information indicating one of the one or more contents published by the server;
Reproduction control means for causing a video reproduction apparatus to receive and reproduce content from the server based on the URI information received by the reception means;
Storage means for holding list information including a set of names of the video playback devices, acquiring location information of each of the video playback devices, and storing the location information in association with the names of the video playback devices; Have
Display means for sorting and displaying a set of names in the list information according to the position information;
The playback control unit receives a designation from a user for display on the display unit, and causes the video playback device corresponding to the designated name to receive and play the content.   The video reproduction control device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit acquires the position information using an ID of a lighting device.   The video playback control device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit places the video playback device whose position information is close to a control point in the display order.   The video reproduction control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit acquires the position information through communication with the video reproduction apparatus. Obtaining position information of the video playback device for determining a display order of list information including a set of names of the video playback devices;
Displaying the list information of the video playback device and receiving the designation of the video playback device to play content from the outside based on this display,
Receiving URI information indicating one of the one or more contents published by the server;
A video playback control device that causes the designated video playback device to receive and play back content from the server based on the URI information.

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