JP2012114948A - Content transmission apparatus, reproducer and content reproducing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a function for easily resuming reproduction of a content when a user desires to resume the reproduction of the content in an other apparatus by interrupting the reproduction of the content.SOLUTION: A first apparatus generates a stop position of the content, URL of the content and time when the content is stopped by a button operation as resume information and transmits it by a request of the resume information. A second apparatus requests the resume information by the button operation, selects the resume information including latest time when the content is stopped from one or above received resume information, requests the content based on the content URL and the stop position of the resume information and resumes the reproduction of the content.

Description

  The present invention relates to a content device and a content playback method for transmitting and receiving content via a network and playing it back.

  In recent years, AV home appliances such as home recorders, televisions, and audio components have been increasingly compatible with interconnections via IP networks. In particular, we are trying to improve the interconnectability by complying with the interconnect standard in the home network such as DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance). Hereinafter, a device having a function of transmitting content via a network is referred to as a server, and a device having a function of receiving and reproducing content via a network is referred to as a client. The server and the client may be mounted on the same device.

  In a home network using AV home appliances, the first purpose is to reproduce content held by a server on a client. To achieve this goal, interconnectable servers typically have the ability to send a list of reproducible content and the ability to send content, and the client can receive a list of content and specify content from the list. Thus, the server has a function of requesting the server to transmit content, receiving the content from the server, and playing it.

  On the other hand, when the server device and the plurality of client devices are interconnected via a network, the following problems occur. For example, it is assumed that the user D is watching the content of the recorder A on the television B in the home network where the recorder A (server), the television B (client), and the television C (client) that can be connected to each other exist. When user D suspends viewing on TV B, moves to TV C, and wishes to resume playback (hereinafter resumed) from the interrupted location (hereinafter resumed point), resume processing via the network is required. It becomes. In the case of an apparatus that does not have a resume process, the same content is selected on the television C, and the user performs an operation such as fast-forwarding to the resume point, and restarts playback.

  Several solutions that can address these challenges have been presented. For example, in Patent Literature 1, when a user stops viewing with the client E, a client to be viewed later (referred to as a client F) is designated and stored on the server together with the resume point as client information. When the user requests content transmission from the client F to the server, the content and resume point to be resumed are calculated from the client information of the client F, and the client F can resume without any particular operation. In this method, the point is that the information of the client to be resumed, the content to be resumed, and the resume point are associated on the server. In another method of Patent Document 1, when the user stops viewing with the client E, the user ID is stored on the server together with the resume point. When a content transmission request and a user ID are transmitted to the server from a different client F, the content and the resume point to be resumed are calculated from the user ID, and resume is possible. In this method, the point that the user ID, the content to be resumed, and the resume point are associated on the server is a point.

  In Patent Document 2, when the user stops viewing on the client E, the ID of the remote controller G is stored on the server together with the resume point. When the user uses the same remote controller G to request content transmission from another client F to the server, the content to be resumed and the resume point are calculated from the ID of the remote controller G, and the resume becomes possible. In this method, the point is that the remote controller ID is associated with the content to be resumed and the resume point on the server.

  Patent Document 3 describes a resume using a user ID as in Patent Document 1. In Patent Document 4, when the user stops viewing with the client E, the resume point is stored on the server together with the content information. When the user designates the same content on the client F and requests reproduction, the resume is performed using the resume point stored together with the content. In this method, the point is that the content and the resume point are associated on the server.

JP 2004-102415 A JP 2002-28169 A JP 2004-229035 A JP 2005-323068 A

  When it is desired to stop viewing content and immediately reproduce the same content on another client, the method of designating the client to be viewed later when viewing is stopped is troublesome for the user. The method using the user ID requires a device for recognizing the user or requires a user operation for inputting the user ID. The method of using a special remote control with an ID is troublesome that the remote control must be carried around. In the method of specifying the content, specifying the content is a complicated operation for the user. The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a function that can easily resume the reproduction of content when the user interrupts the reproduction of the content and wants to resume the reproduction of the content on another device.

  In order to achieve the above object, a content reception / playback apparatus of the present invention includes a means for inputting a content playback stop instruction, a means for detecting a content stop position, a content stop position, a content URL (Uniform Resource Locator), and It is characterized by comprising means for transmitting the content stop time as resume information and means for receiving a resume information transmission request.

  The content reception / playback apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the means for inputting the content playback stop instruction is the same means as the means for inputting the content playback restart instruction. In the content reception / playback apparatus of the present invention, the time when the content is stopped is a time when the content playback stop instruction is input. In addition, when the content reception / playback device of the present invention receives an instruction to turn off the power of the device after inputting the content playback stop instruction, the content reception / playback device turns on the power of the device after a certain period of time or after transmitting resume information. It is characterized by being turned off.

  In addition, the content reception / playback apparatus of the present invention has a means for inputting a resume instruction for content playback, a means for transmitting a resume information transmission request, a means for receiving resume information, and has stopped content from one or more received resume information. It is characterized by comprising means for selecting resume information including the latest time, and means for transmitting a content transmission request including the content stop position to the URL of the content of the resume information.

  In addition, the content reception / playback apparatus of the present invention includes means for executing a process equivalent to an input for turning on the power in response to an input of the content playback restart instruction. In the content reception / playback apparatus of the present invention, the means for selecting resume information including the latest time when the content is stopped from the one or more received resume information is the latest time from the resume information received within a certain time. It is a means for selecting resume information including.

  The content transmission apparatus of the present invention further includes means for receiving the content stop position, the content URL, and the content stop time as resume information, means for receiving a resume information transmission request, and means for transmitting resume information. It is characterized by that.

  The content receiving / playback apparatus of the present invention transmits means for inputting a content playback stop instruction, means for detecting a content stop position, content stop position, content URL, and content stop time as resume information. Means are provided.

  The content transmission device with one-touch resume function and the reception / playback device of the present invention can resume playback of the content that has been interrupted by simply pressing the one-touch resume button on the remote controller.

1 is a configuration diagram of a content apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a basic flow according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is an example of a table of resume information according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is an example of the remote controller used in the Example of this invention. It is a block diagram in case the resume information provision part is provided in the server by another Example of this invention. 10 is a flow when a server according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a resume information providing unit.

  The purpose of adding a one-touch resume function to a content device and easily restarting the content playback on a device different from the device that stopped the content playback is realized with the minimum user operation.

  Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a content transmission device with one-touch resume and a content reception / playback device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  101 and 151 indicate different rooms. Reference numerals 102 and 152 denote different servers, which correspond to content transmission apparatuses. 111 and 161 are content transmission units, which can transmit content via the network 140. The servers 102 and 152 are devices having a function of holding content such as a general HDD recorder or PC, and have a function of holding a general HDD recorder or PC in addition to the content transmission unit. Is omitted. Reference numerals 103 and 153 denote different clients, which correspond to content reception / playback apparatuses. Reference numerals 112 and 162 denote content receiving units that can receive content from the network 140.

  The clients 103 and 153 are devices having a function of reproducing content such as a general digital TV or PC, and have a function held by a general digital TV or PC in addition to the content receiving unit. Is omitted. Reference numerals 113 and 163 denote resume information providing units that characterize the present invention. The resume information providing unit can transmit resume information in response to a request from the resume information acquiring units 114 and 164.

  In FIG. 1, the user A (104) is viewing the content existing on the server A with the client A (state 1). The content flow is indicated at 121. At this time, the user A stops viewing the client A. Then, resume information in which the URL of the content, the resume point, and the resume time are described is created on the client A, and the resume information providing unit 113 can be provided to other devices.

  Next, it is assumed that the same user A moves to the room B. User A (154) after moving presses the one-touch resume button, which is a feature of the present invention. Then, the resume information acquisition unit 164 acquires resume information from another device (141). The resume information acquisition unit selects the resume information in which the latest resume time is described as the latest resume information. Next, the client B executes the resume processing on the resume side using the selected latest resume information. The resume-side resume process is a process of acquiring and playing back content using the content URL or resume point described in the resume information. When the resume processing on the resume side is executed, the content is transmitted from the server A as shown at 171 and is received and reproduced by the client B. With the configuration described above, the user can stop viewing the content and resume viewing the content simply by pressing the one-touch resume button on another client.

  FIG. 2 is an overall flowchart of the present invention. In this description, the server A corresponds to the server 102 that transmits content. Client A corresponds to the client 103. Client B corresponds to client 153. In the initial state of this flow, the server A is transmitting content to the client A (200). Assume that client A is receiving content from server A (220). Client B is suspended (240).

  The outline of this flow is as follows. When client A performs stop side resume processing (281), transmission of content from the server stops (282). Stop-side resume processing is processing and related processing performed on the device side that has stopped receiving content, among a series of resume processing that stops and restarts content transmission / reception. Perform calculations. Next, when the resume process is resumed by the client B (283), the transmission of the content from the server is resumed (284). The resume-side resume process is a process performed on the apparatus side that resumes content reproduction and related processes, and resumes transmission / reception of content mainly using resume points.

  Hereinafter, each step will be described in detail. First, in client A, the user presses the resume button (221). In this process, the user explicitly starts the stop-side resume process by pressing the resume button. However, for example, a general stop button press for stopping content playback may be set as step 221. Next, the client A transmits a content transmission stop request to the server A (222). Server A receives the content transmission stop request (202), and stops the content transmission (203). The content transmission request does not need to be explicitly transmitted as data, and may be notified to the other party by, for example, disconnecting a TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) connection. When client A sends a stop request, it acquires a resume point (223).

  The resume point is position information of content necessary for resuming, and is indicated by time or byte position. For example, when the resume point is 21 minutes and 30 seconds, it indicates that the content is stopped at 21 minutes and 30 seconds, and it is only necessary to resume from the same position. In order to resume viewing of content, a resume point is transmitted together with a content playback instruction. Then, reception and playback are continued from 21 minutes 30 seconds. As a method for detecting the resume point, the decoding position (time or byte) of the decoder when the resume button is pressed may be used, or another method capable of acquiring similar data may be used. Further, the resume point may be detected on the server and notified to the client.

  Next, the client A creates resume information (224). The resume information includes the content URL, the content resume point, and the time when the resume process was executed. Here, the resume information will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The resume information includes at least a resume time 301, a content URL 302, and a resume position 303. The resume time is the time when the stop side resume process is executed. The content URL is information indicating the location of the content when the content is played back via the network, and is information for playing back the content for which the resume processing is performed via the network.

  This URL is the URL of the content that was being received and played when the resume button was pressed. If the content can be reproduced via the network, other methods (content ID and content name) may be used instead of the URL. The resume point is a stop position of the content when the resume button indicated by time or byte is pressed.

  Using such resume information, a resume port is opened (225). The resume port is a connection interface from the network to the resume information providing unit that provides resume information. When a resume information request is transmitted to the resume port, the resume information providing unit transmits the resume information. As an example of opening a resume port, there is a method of listening to a specific port by UDP (User Datagram Protocol) and using the received packet as a resume information request after verifying whether it is a resume information request.

  Next, the user presses the resume button on the client B (246). Since client B is inactive, it is activated by pressing the resume button (247). If client B is running at 240, it is not necessary to start at step 247. In addition, the user may start up by pressing the power button on the remote controller before pressing the resume button.

  Next, client B sends a resume information request to another client. In transmitting the resume information request, if UDP is used as the resume information request protocol, the resume information request may be broadcast. In this case, the resume information request is transmitted to all clients listening in step 225. Further, when unicast is used for transmitting the resume information request, the resume information request may be transmitted to all discovered devices.

  When client A receives the resume information request (228), it transmits the resume information created in step 224 to client B (229). Client B receives the resume information (249). Note that step 249 is executed by the number of devices that have opened resume ports. For example, if there are 5 clients, all of them are activated and the resume port is open, the resume information is transmitted continuously by the device that has opened all the resume ports. Will receive.

  Next, client B selects the resume information having the latest resume time from the received resume information (250). In order to receive a plurality of resume information in step 249, the transition to step 250 is performed in the elapsed time since the execution of step 248, or when a certain number of resume information is received. As the fixed number, a user setting or, for example, 3 may be used as the specified value. Alternatively, terminals existing on the network may be detected and all or 50% of them may be detected.

  Next, a content transmission request is transmitted using the content URL and the resume point described in the resume information having the latest resume time (252). The use of the resume point is to describe the resume point in the Range header of the HTTP header, for example, in the case of HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol).

  When the server A receives the content transmission request (212), the server A transmits the corresponding content from the corresponding resume point (213). Client B receives the content (253) and plays it (254). Note that the client A may automatically turn off the power after the resume information transmission (229) (231). The timing of automatically turning off the power may be, for example, a certain time after pressing the resume button, or a certain time after opening the resume port, and immediately after transmitting resume information.

  With the above processing, the server A enters the content transmission state (215), the client A enters the dormant state (235), the client B enters the content reception / playback state (255), and the resume processing is completed. With this flow, both clients A and B can view the continuation of the content with a single press of the button. Further, the client B can acquire the resume information from the client A by extending the timing when the power of the client A is turned off by using a timer or the like.

  FIG. 4 is an example of a remote controller used in the content transmission device with one-touch resume function or the content reception / playback device of the present invention. 401 indicates the entire remote controller, and 402 is a power button. Reference numeral 403 denotes a one-touch resume button. In this example, by pressing this button, the power can be turned on during a pause. Further, the stop side resume process can be executed and the power supply can be turned off during startup. Note that the power-off timing is performed after elapse of a certain time as described above.

  Next, a configuration in which the resume information providing unit is provided in the server will be described with reference to FIG. In this figure, the difference from the configuration of FIG. 1 is that resume information providing units 513 and 563 exist in the server. When the client A stops viewing, the client A creates resume information and transmits the resume information to the server A that has been viewed until immediately before (541). Next, when a resume information acquisition request is transmitted from the client B and received by the resume information providing unit 513, the last received resume information is transmitted (542).

  In this configuration, for example, when the server A is transmitting content to a plurality of clients and the plurality of clients stop viewing the content in succession, two resume information are transmitted continuously. However, in the present invention, only the resume information transmitted last is valid. That is, when the resume information is requested on the server, the last received resume information is transmitted. Since client B requests resume information from all servers, a plurality of resume information may be received. At this time, the resume process is executed using the resume information in which the latest resume time is described.

  Next, the flow in the configuration in which the resume information providing unit is provided in the server will be described with reference to FIG. Steps 600, 602, and 603, steps 620 to 624, and steps 646 and 647 are the same as those in FIG. In step 625, resume information is transmitted to server A that has stopped receiving the content. Server A receives the resume information (605). Steps 648 and 649 and steps 608 and 609 are the same except that the server A executes processing corresponding to the client A in FIG. Steps 612 and after, step 635, and step 650 and after are the same as in FIG. The power cut-off in step 631 may be immediately after step 625 because it is not necessary to receive a resume information request. In the configuration in which the resume information providing unit is provided in the server, the client can turn off the power immediately after the resume information is transmitted.

101 Room A
102 Server A (recorder, etc.)
103 Client A (TV, etc.)
104 User A (State 1)
111 Content Transmitting Unit 112 Content Receiving Unit 113 Resume Information Providing Unit 114 Resume Information Obtaining Unit 121 Content Transmitted from Server to Client (State 1)
140 Network 141 Resume information sent from client A to client B 151 Room B
152 Server B (Recorder, etc.)
153 Client B (TV etc.)
154 User A (State 2)
161 Content transmission unit 162 Content reception unit 163 Resume information provision unit 164 Resume information acquisition unit 171 Content transmitted from server to client (state 2)

The above object can be achieved by, for example, the configuration described in the claims.

Claims (27)

A device for playing back content,
Means for inputting a content playback stop instruction;
Means for outputting, as resume information, the time at which content playback was stopped or the time at which a playback stop instruction was input, information indicating the content that can be played back, and information indicating the content stop position A content reproduction apparatus characterized by the above.   2. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for receiving the content to be reproduced from a network.   3. The content reproduction according to claim 1, wherein the stop instruction is input from a remote controller or a content reproduction stop button, a resume function button, or a power button of the device. apparatus.   The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input of the stop instruction is an input of a signal output from another apparatus.   5. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for outputting the resume information is a means for transmitting to other apparatuses via a network.   6. The content playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information indicating the content that can be played back is a URL (Uniform Resource Locator).   7. The content reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for receiving a resume information transmission request in addition to the means.   8. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for inputting the content reproduction stop instruction is the same means as the means for inputting the content reproduction restart instruction.   9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising means for turning off the power of the device after a predetermined time has elapsed or after transmitting resume information when receiving an instruction to turn off the power of the device. The content reproduction apparatus described in 1.   10. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for detecting a content stop position. A device for playing back content,
Means for inputting an instruction to resume content playback;
Means for inputting resume information;
And a means for selecting resume information including the time when the latest content is stopped or the time when playback stop is input, from one or more resume information input.   12. The content playback apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for playing back content using information indicating the content of the selected resume information and information indicating a stop position of the content.   13. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising: means for receiving the content to be reproduced from a network; and means for receiving the resume information from the network.   14. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the input for resumption is an input from a remote controller, a content reproduction stop button, a resume function button, or a power button of the apparatus. .   14. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the restart input is an input of a signal output from another apparatus.   16. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the means for inputting the resume information is a means for receiving from another apparatus via a network.   The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the information indicating the content of the resume information is a URL.   18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising means for executing a process equivalent to an input for turning on a power supply in response to an input of a content reproduction restart instruction. The content reproduction apparatus described in 1.   The means for selecting the resume information including the latest time when the content is stopped from the one or more input resume information is means for selecting the resume information including the latest time from the resume information input within a predetermined time. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the content reproduction apparatus is one of claims 13 to 18.   20. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for transmitting a resume information transmission request. A device for outputting content,
Means for inputting the stop position of the content, the information indicating the content, and the time when the content was stopped as resume information;
And a means for outputting resume information.   The content apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the means for outputting the content is a means for transmitting to another apparatus via a network.   The means for inputting and outputting the resume information is a means for transmitting to another device via a network and a means for receiving from another device, according to any one of claims 21 and 22. Content device.   In addition to the above means, means for selecting resume information including the time when the latest content was stopped or the time when playback stop was input from one or more input resume information, and outputting the selected resume information as resume information 24. The content apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the content apparatus has any of the above.   25. The content apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the information indicating the content is a URL. A content playback method in a content playback apparatus capable of receiving content to be played back from a network,
Inputting a content playback stop instruction;
Outputting the time when the content playback was stopped or the time when the playback stop instruction was input, the information indicating the content capable of reproducing the content, and the information indicating the stop position of the content to the network as resume information; A content reproduction method in a content reproduction apparatus, comprising:   27. The content reproduction method in the content reproduction apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the input of the stop instruction is an input from a remote controller, a content reproduction stop button, a resume function button, or a power button of the content reproduction apparatus. .

Images