JP2012244200A - Content reproduction processor and content reproduction system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique capable of providing prompt report information to a user even during the reproduction of a content without including prompt report information such as disaster information.SOLUTION: A content reproduction processor 20 includes main content processing means 200, prompt report information processing means 300, and synthesis means 400. The means 200 acquires a reproduction target content 102 from a content source 100, reproduces the content 102, and outputs the content as a main content 104. The means 300 acquires prompt report supply data 132 including prompt report information which is not included in the content 102 from a prompt report information source 130, extracts the prompt report information from the prompt report supply data 132, and outputs the prompt report information as a prompt report content 138. The means 400 synthesizes the prompt report content 138 with the main content 104 and outputs synthesis contents 190 when the prompt report content 138 is input, and outputs the main content 104 when the prompt report content 138 is not input.

Description

  The present invention relates to a content reproduction processing apparatus and a content reproduction system, and more particularly to a technology for providing users with breaking information even during reproduction of content that does not include breaking information such as disaster information and breaking news.

  Conventionally, in television broadcasting, disaster information such as disaster information and breaking news may be superimposed on broadcast video and / or audio. For example, in terrestrial digital television broadcasting, a broadcasting station generates a TS (transport stream) packet of breaking information separately from a TS packet for broadcasting video and / or audio, and multiplexes it with a TS packet for broadcasting. There is a transmission method. More specifically, the bulletin information is encoded as character super data by a predetermined method, divided into TS packets, and transmitted together with a broadcast TS packet. In addition, there is a method in which breaking information is transmitted as a TS packet of broadcast video by superimposing it on the broadcast video as a telop.

  Incidentally, in recent years, with the spread of network lines and the spread of digital broadcast playback terminals having network functions, for example, many VOD (video on demand) video distribution services using the Internet have been provided. In such a moving image distribution service, content data encoded as TS format data is stored in a distribution server. In the TS format data, video and / or audio is encoded by a predetermined encoding method and then divided into TS packets, and these TS packets are multiplexed according to the reproduction order or the like.

JP 2009-290794 A

  In the above-described VOD service using the Internet, the current situation is that operations for quickly inserting breaking information such as disaster information and breaking news are not necessarily performed.

  For example, Patent Document 1 introduces a technique for inserting breaking information in the VOD service. In this technique, even when there is no character information to be displayed, a caption packet (transparent caption packet) composed of, for example, NULL data or the like is multiplexed in advance in TS data. Then, when suddenly inserting and displaying new caption data, the packet of the new caption data is overwritten on the previously prepared transparent caption packet. By distributing the overwritten TS data, the bulletin information is also displayed in the VOD service.

  However, according to this technology, it is necessary to perform processing for generating and overwriting a transparent subtitle packet for all contents to be distributed. For this reason, the situation where the content distribution server must be increased may arise. The use or possession of large-scale servers is a burden for VOD service providers. On the other hand, the fact that the bulletin information is not provided while using the VOD service is not convenient for the user.

  In addition, not only the VOD service but also various situations where the breaking information is not provided during the reproduction of the content exist.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a content reproduction processing apparatus and a content reproduction system capable of providing a user with breaking information even during reproduction of content that does not include breaking information such as disaster information and breaking news.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, main content processing means for acquiring content to be reproduced from a content source, reproducing the acquired content and outputting it as main content, and breaking information not included in the content to be reproduced Breaking information supply means for acquiring the included breaking information from a breaking information source, extracting the breaking information from the acquired breaking information supply data by a predetermined extraction process, and outputting the extracted breaking information as breaking content, and When the breaking information is input from the breaking information processing means, the breaking content is combined with the main content, and the obtained combined content is output. On the other hand, when the breaking content is not input, the main content is output. And a content reproduction processing apparatus including synthesis means for outputting the content.

  According to the above aspect, the content reproduction processing apparatus includes the breaking information processing unit that acquires breaking information and outputs the breaking information as the breaking content, and the combining unit that combines the breaking content with the main content being reproduced. . For this reason, even when the content not including the breaking information is being reproduced, the breaking information can be provided to the user.

  The objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a content reproduction system according to a first embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram which illustrates the structure of bulletin supply data. It is a conceptual diagram which illustrates the other structure of bulletin supply data. It is a schematic diagram which illustrates display area division | segmentation composition. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a content reproduction processing apparatus according to a third embodiment. FIG. FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a content reproduction processing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment.

<Embodiment 1>
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a content reproduction system (hereinafter also referred to as a reproduction system) 10 according to the first embodiment. In the example of FIG. 1, the reproduction system 10 includes a content reproduction processing device (hereinafter also referred to as a reproduction processing device) 20 and a content output device (hereinafter also referred to as an output device) 30. In FIG. 1, “content reproduction processing device” is denoted as “content reproduction processing” for reference numeral 20, and the same notation method may be used for other elements and other drawings.

  For the sake of explanation, FIG. 1 shows a content source 100 that is a supply source of content (more specifically, content data) 102 to be played back by the playback system 10, and data 132 that includes breaking information such as disaster information and emergency news. Also shown is a bulletin information source 130 which is a source of information. The data 132 including the bulletin information supplied from the bulletin information source 130 is also referred to as the bulletin supply data 132. In particular, it is assumed that the content 102 distributed from the content source 100 does not include breaking information.

  Below, the following examples are given for explanation. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and various embodiments can be envisaged including further examples described later.

  First, a case where the content reproduction system 10 is configured to be able to use a VOD (video on demand) service via the Internet will be exemplified.

  According to this example, the content source 100 corresponds to the content distribution server of the VOD service provider, and the content source 100 is connected to the playback system 10 via the Internet.

  Here, it is assumed that the bulletin information is provided for the user by the VOD service provider. According to this example, the bulletin information source 130 corresponds to a server (hereinafter also referred to as a bulletin information dedicated server) prepared in advance by a VOD service provider and registered with bulletin information, and the bulletin information source 130 is connected via the Internet. Connected to the playback system 10. However, it is assumed that the bulletin supply data 132 is transmitted by a signal different from the distribution content 102.

  Note that the following explanation also applies to the case where the dedicated server for breaking news information is prepared by a provider different from the VOD service provider. That is, the bulletin information source 130 and the content source 100 may be prepared by different operators.

  According to the example here, both the content source 100 and the breaking information source 130 are provided outside the reproduction system 10, and thus outside the reproduction processing device 20.

  Moreover, the case where the reproduction target content 102 acquired by the reproduction system 10 from the content source 100 includes both visual content and audio content is illustrated. However, the content 102 may be composed of only one of visual content and auditory content.

  Here, the visual content is content that is provided in a format that can be sensed visually by the user of the playback system 10, and the auditory content is provided in a format that can be sensed by the user of the playback system 10. Content. The visual content is expressed by, for example, a video, an image, or a graphic format. Auditory content is expressed in the form of audio (eg, human voice, music, etc.). Auditory content may be referred to as audio content.

  The term “video” is basically used for moving images, the term “image” is basically used for still images, and the term “graphic” is basically created by the playback system 10. It is used for moving images or still images. However, these terms are not generally strictly distinguished, and therefore these terms should be appropriately interpreted in the following description. For example, a moving image and a still image may be collectively referred to as an image. In addition, for visual content in which two or three of video, image, and graphic are combined (may be expressed as “mixed”, “combined”, etc.), video, image, and graphic Any of the terms can be used. Note that video, images, graphics, and the like may include characters.

  In the following example, the bulletin supply data 132 includes bulletin information body data (hereinafter also referred to as a bulletin information body, bulletin information, etc.) 134 as illustrated in the conceptual diagrams of FIGS. 2 and 3. It is assumed that additional data (hereinafter also referred to as additional information) 136 can be included as illustrated in the figure. Examples of the additional information 136 include creation date / time information and control information (illustrated later). Note that the bulletin supply data 132 may include information other than the bulletin information 134 and the additional information 136.

  Moreover, the case where the bulletin information main body 134 is provided as both visual content and audio content is illustrated. However, the bulletin information main body 134 may be provided with only one of visual content and audio content.

<Content playback system 10>
As described above, the reproduction system 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes the content reproduction processing device 20 and the content output device 30.

  The content reproduction processing device 20 acquires the content 102 to be reproduced from the content source 100, reproduces the content 102, and outputs it as the main content 104 to the content output device 30. Further, when the reproduction processing device 20 acquires the breaking information data 132 from the breaking information source 130, the reproduction processing device 20 synthesizes the breaking information 138 corresponding to the breaking information data 132 with the reproduced main content 104 described above. The content 190 is output to the content output device 30.

  The reproduction processing device 20 can be realized by a combination of hardware and software, for example. For example, the acquisition of the content to be reproduced 102 and the breaking news supply data 132 can be realized by an interface (I / F) device for Internet connection and software for performing Internet communication. Further, for example, the reproduction of the content 102 and the composition of the content can be realized by software. Note that part or all of the processing by software can be realized by hardware (for example, a dedicated circuit configured to execute processing contents).

  Processing by software can be realized, for example, by executing processing steps (in other words, processing procedures) described in a predetermined program by a microprocessor (also referred to as MPU, CPU, or microcomputer). Note that the microprocessor can adopt, for example, a multiprocessor or multicore configuration. A program executed by the microprocessor is stored in a storage device. The storage device stores various data in addition to storing the program. The storage device also provides a work area for executing the program. The storage device can be composed of storage means such as a ROM, a RAM, a rewritable nonvolatile memory (such as EPROM), and a hard disk (HD). When a plurality of storage means are provided, they are collectively referred to as a storage device.

  The content output device 30 receives the main content 104 or the composite content 190 from the content reproduction processing device 20, and outputs the received content in a format that can be sensed visually and audibly by the user. In the example of FIG. 1, the content output device 30 includes a visual output unit 32 that displays visual content and an audio output unit 34 that outputs audio of audio content. The visual output means 32 is configured by a display device such as a liquid crystal display device or a plasma display device. The auditory output means 34 is composed of a sound forming device such as a speaker or a headphone, and includes a device such as an amplifier as appropriate.

  Both output means 32 and 34 may be configured as one device or may be configured as separate devices. For example, a so-called television device can be used for the content output device 30, and in this case, both output means 32 and 34 are provided by a television device which is one device. For example, when a monitor display device having no sound output function is used as the visual output means 32, the auditory output means 34 is prepared as a separate device.

  Here, the content reproduction processing device 20 can be configured as a dedicated terminal device for the VOD service. Further, the reproduction processing apparatus 20 can be configured by a personal computer (PC). Further, the reproduction processing device 20 may be built in the television device. Further, the playback processing device 20 may be built in the recording device (in other words, the recording processing function may be built in the playback processing device 20).

<Content reproduction processing apparatus 20>
The content reproduction processing apparatus 20 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes main content processing means 200, breaking news information processing means 300, composition means 400, and operation means (not shown).

<Main content processing means 200>
The main content processing unit 200 acquires the content 102 to be played back from the content source 100, performs a predetermined playback process on the acquired content 102, and outputs the content 104 after the playback process. In the example of FIG. 1, the main content processing unit 200 includes a content acquisition unit 202 and a content reproduction unit 204.

  The content acquisition unit 202 is a unit that performs Internet communication, and receives the content 102 to be played back from the content source 100 via the Internet. Here, a case where the content 102 is transmitted from the content source 100 in a data format in which video (in other words, visual content) and audio (in other words, auditory content) are TS (transport stream) multiplexed is illustrated. However, the distribution of the content 102 is not limited to the TS format.

  The content reproduction unit 204 is a unit that performs a predetermined reproduction process on the received content 102. Here, corresponding to the transmission of the content 102 in the TS format, the content reproduction unit 204 includes a TS separation unit 206, a video decoding unit 208, and an audio decoding unit 210.

  The TS separation unit 206 separates the video TS packet and the audio TS packet from the received data in the TS format. The video packet is decoded by the video decoding unit 208, and the decoded data is output as video content (hereinafter also referred to as main video content) 106. The audio packet is decoded by the audio decoding unit 210, and the decoded data is output as audio content (hereinafter also referred to as main audio content) 108.

  The main video content 104 and the main audio content 106 are output from the main content processing unit 200 as the main content 104 and input to the synthesis unit 400.

<Breaking Information Processing Unit 300>
The bulletin information processing unit 300 acquires the bulletin supply data 132 from the bulletin information source 130, extracts the bulletin information body 134 from the acquired bulletin supply data 132 by a predetermined extraction process, and extracts the extracted bulletin information body 134 as a bulletin content 138. (See also FIGS. 2 and 3). In the example of FIG. 1, the bulletin information processing unit 300 includes a bulletin supply data acquisition unit 302 and a bulletin information extraction unit 304.

  The bulletin supply data acquisition unit 302 is a unit that performs Internet communication, and receives the bulletin supply data 132 from the bulletin information source 130 via the Internet. Here, the case where the breaking news supply data 132 is automatically distributed from the breaking news information source 130 is illustrated. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the bulletin information extraction unit 304 accesses the bulletin information source 130 periodically or irregularly via the bulletin supply data acquisition unit 302 to check whether the bulletin supply data 132 exists. You may make it do.

  In the example of FIG. 1, the bulletin supply data acquisition unit 302 is provided separately from the content acquisition unit 202. However, since both means 202 and 302 are functionally common as described above, both means 202 and 302 may be realized by the same hardware or the like. In that case, a single configuration responsible for Internet communication functions as the content acquisition unit 202 and also functions as the breaking news supply data acquisition unit 302.

  The bulletin supply data 132 is configured by a tag language such as XML (eXtensible Markup Language). However, the bulletin supply data 132 may be configured in other data formats.

  According to the tag language, tags such as a headline, occurrence time, update time, genre, information summary, video, audio, output method, and the like are provided, and corresponding information is described in each tag. According to this example, headline, occurrence time, update time, genre, information summary, video, and audio tag information correspond to the bulletin information main body 134. Note that some or all of the headline, occurrence time, update time, genre, and information summary can be handled as additional information 136 (see FIG. 3). The information of the output method tag is, for example, control information such as the output time of the breaking news content 138 and the number of repetitions, and corresponds to the additional information 136.

  The obtained breaking news supply data 132 is processed by the breaking news information extraction unit 304. That is, the bulletin information extraction unit 304 extracts the bulletin information body 134 by analyzing the bulletin supply data 132 (more specifically, by identifying the tag of the data 132), It is output as breaking news content 138.

  Here, the case where the breaking content 138 is composed of the visual content 140 and the auditory content 142 is illustrated, but the breaking content 138 may be composed of only one of the visual content 140 and the auditory content 142. sell. Hereinafter, visual content 140 is also referred to as breaking visual content 140, and auditory content 142 is also referred to as breaking auditory content 142.

  Specifically, the bulletin information extraction unit 304 outputs video tag information (that is, video data) as visual content 140, and outputs audio tag information (that is, audio data) as auditory content 142. When the tag information of the headline, the occurrence time, the update time, the genre, and the information summary is composed of characters and images, the bulletin information extraction unit 304 constructs the characters and / or images as graphics, and the visual content 140 is output.

  The visual content 140 and the auditory content 142 are output from the breaking information processing unit 300 as breaking information 138 and input to the synthesizing unit 400.

  Here, as described above, a case where both video and graphics are obtained from the bulletin supply data 132 and both are output as visual content 140 from the bulletin information processing means 300 is illustrated. On the other hand, only one of the video and the graphic may be output. For example, an output rule that preferentially outputs visual content 140 based on video may be set in advance, and the breaking information extraction unit 304 may perform processing according to the output rule.

  In addition, depending on the analysis result of the bulletin supply data 132 by the bulletin information extraction unit 304, only one of video and graphics may be obtained. In that case, what is necessary is just to output the obtained content as the breaking visual content 140 without distinguishing between video and graphics. If neither video nor graphic is obtained, the breaking visual information 140 is not output from the breaking information processing means 300.

  By the way, when the bulletin supply data 132 includes the additional information 136 (see FIG. 3), the bulletin information extraction unit 304 and the like perform processing according to the content of the additional information 136. For example, when the output method is instructed by the additional information 136 as in the above example, the bulletin information extraction unit 304 outputs the bulletin content 138 to the synthesis unit 400 according to the output method. When there is no instruction for the output method in the breaking news supply data 132, the breaking news information extraction unit 304 outputs the breaking news content 138 by a predetermined output method.

  Further, for example, when the additional information 136 indicates the combining method (in other words, when a tag indicating the combining method is provided), the breaking information extraction unit 304 transfers the additional information 136 to the combining unit 400. The synthesizing unit 400 can perform the synthesizing process according to the instructed synthesizing method.

<Combining means 400>
The synthesizing unit 400 combines the main content 104 output from the main content processing unit 200 and the breaking news content 138 output from the breaking information processing unit 300 according to a predetermined combining process or as in the above example. The information is combined in accordance with the combining process designated by the additional information 136 of 132. Then, the combining unit 400 outputs the combined content 190 to the content output device 30. Here, the synthesis unit 400 performs the synthesis process when the breaking information 138 is input from the breaking information processing unit 300. On the other hand, when the breaking news content 138 is not input, the synthesizing unit 400 outputs the main content 104 to the content output device 30 as it is.

  In the example of FIG. 1, the synthesis unit 400 includes a visual content synthesis unit 402 and an audio content synthesis unit 404.

  The visual content synthesizing unit 402 synthesizes the synthesized visual content 192 by synthesizing the main video content 106 output from the main content processing unit 200 and the breaking visual content 140 output from the breaking information processing unit 300. Generate. The visual content composition unit 402 outputs the main video content 106 as it is when the breaking visual content 140 is not input.

  The audio content synthesizing unit 404 synthesizes the synthesized audio content 194 by synthesizing the main audio content 108 output from the main content processing unit 200 and the breaking audio content 142 output from the breaking information processing unit 300. Generate. That is, the synthesized content 190 is composed of the synthesized visual content 192 and the synthesized auditory content 194. Note that the auditory content synthesizing unit 404 outputs the main audio content 108 as it is when the breaking audio content 142 is not input.

  As a method of combining the main video content 106 and the breaking visual content 140, a method of superimposing the two contents 106 and 140 is exemplified (overlay combining). In this case, the degree of superposition can be adjusted by setting the transmittance of the upper layer. For example, when the breaking visual content 140 is set as the upper layer, the display of the lower main video content 106 is given priority as the transmittance of the upper breaking visual content 140 increases, and conversely, the upper breaking visual content 140 The display of the breaking visual content 140 is prioritized as the transmittance is smaller.

  Further, as a method for synthesizing the main video content 106 and the breaking visual content 140, a method for dividing the display areas of both contents 106 and 140 is exemplified (display area division synthesis). An example of the display screen by this synthesis method is shown in the schematic diagram of FIG.

  In addition, when the breaking visual content 140 includes both video and graphics, either video or graphics is selected according to a preset selection rule, a user switching instruction, or the like, and the selected content is set as the main video content 106. It may be synthesized (selective synthesis).

  Note that the main video content 106 and the breaking visual content 140 may be synthesized by other methods, or may be synthesized by a combination of various methods.

  As a method of synthesizing the main audio content 108 and the breaking audio content 142, a method of superimposing both contents 108 and 142 is exemplified (mixing synthesis). In this case, the degree of superimposition can be adjusted by setting the mixing ratio. The larger the ratio of the main audio content 108, the easier the perception of the content 108, and conversely, the greater the ratio of the breaking audio content 142, the easier the perception of the content 142.

  Further, as a method of synthesizing the main audio content 108 and the breaking audio content 142, a method of superimposing both contents 108 and 142 in a time division manner by interrupting the breaking audio content 142 in the middle of the main audio content 108 is exemplified. (Interrupt synthesis).

  Further, when the audio output means 34 has a plurality of channels, a method of superimposing both contents 108 and 142 by assigning the main audio content 108 and the breaking audio content 142 to different channels is exemplified (channel division synthesis). ). The plurality of channels may be for the left speaker and the right speaker, for example, or may be for the speaker assigned to the main audio content 108 and the speaker assigned to the breaking audio content 142, for example. Also good.

  Note that the main audio content 108 and the breaking auditory content 142 may be synthesized by other methods, or may be synthesized by a combination of various methods.

<Operation means>
The operation means (not shown) is a man-machine interface that connects the content reproduction processing apparatus 20 and the user. User instructions input via the operation means are used for various processes in the playback processing apparatus 20. For example, when the user operates the operation means to specify the content 102 to be reproduced, the instruction is transmitted to the main content processing means 200 and used for the content 102 download processing. The operation means can be realized by a remote controller, an operation panel provided on the apparatus housing, a keyboard, a mouse, or the like. The operation means may be shared by the reproduction processing device 20 and the content output device 30.

<Effect>
According to the above example, since the breaking information processing means 300 and the synthesizing means 400 are provided, the breaking information can be provided to the user even during the reproduction of the content 102 that does not include the breaking information. This improves convenience.

<Modification 1 of Embodiment 1>
In the above, the case where the content source 100 is the content distribution server of the VOD service provider connected via the Internet has been illustrated. On the other hand, the content source 100 may be a content distribution server connected to a LAN (Local Area Network), and the reproduction target content 102 acquired from the content source 100 may not be content for the VOD service. Absent.

  Further, the content source 100 may be a storage medium such as a Blu-ray Disc (trademark). Further, the reproduction target content 102 may be a content obtained by recording a television broadcast on a storage medium (such as an optical disk or a hard disk).

  That is, the reproduction target content 102 does not depend on the supply source, the supply purpose, or the like unless it can include the breaking information generated during the reproduction in real time.

  When the content source 100 is various storage media, for example, the content acquisition unit 202 can be configured as an apparatus having a storage media reading function. Alternatively, when the storage medium is played back by a device provided outside the playback processing device 20, the content acquisition unit 202 is configured as an interface between the external playback device and the playback processing device 20.

<Modification 2 of Embodiment 1>
In the above, the case where the breaking news content 138 includes at least one of the visual content 140 and the auditory content 142 is illustrated. On the other hand, it is possible to adopt a standard in which the bulletin content 138 does not include the visual content 140, and in such a standard, the visual content synthesis unit 402 may be omitted. In this case, the main video content 106 is output as it is. Conversely, if the breaking news content 138 is a standard that does not include the audio content 142, the audio content synthesis means 404 may be omitted. In this case, the main audio content 108 is output as it is.

<Modification 3 of Embodiment 1>
In the above, the case where the reproduction target content 102 includes both visual content and audio content is illustrated. On the other hand, the main content processing means 200 can be modified exclusively for the content 102 that does not include visual content. Conversely, the main content processing means 200 can be modified exclusively for the content 102 that does not include auditory content. However, even in these examples, the configuration of the bulletin information processing unit 300, the synthesizing unit 400, and the content output device 30 is configured according to the second modification.

  Note that, for example, even if the main content 104 is composed only of the video content 106 and the breaking news content 138 is composed only of the auditory content 142, the composite content 190 is obtained by combining both the content 104 and 138. Generated. That is, in this example, the synthesized content 190 includes a synthesized visual content 192 composed of the main video content 106 and a synthesized auditory content 194 composed of the breaking audio content 142.

<Embodiment 2>
In the first embodiment, the case where the breaking information source 130 is a dedicated server (breaking information dedicated server) is exemplified. On the other hand, it is also possible to use one or a plurality of websites published on the Internet as the bulletin information source 130. In this case, for example, the bulletin information extraction unit 304 accesses the public website regularly or irregularly via the bulletin supply data acquisition unit 302, confirms the presence or absence of the bulletin supply data 132, and the new bulletin supply data 132 is Get it if you are. Internet communication with the website can be performed by, for example, HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol), or other protocols may be used.

  In addition, an example in which one or a plurality of websites used as the bulletin information source 130 is selected in advance can be given. In this case, the location of the selected website on the Internet is stored in, for example, a non-volatile memory (not shown) in the content reproduction processing device 20 and used at the time of access.

  Alternatively, an example in which one or a plurality of websites included in a search result obtained by a technique such as a web search API (Application Program Interface) is used as the breaking information source 130 can be given. According to the web search API, not only a character string (keyword) but also a moving image and a still image can be searched.

  As described above, the format of the bulletin supply data 132 is exemplified by a tag language such as XML. In particular, a tag describing the area related to the breaking information (for example, the name of the place where the incident occurred, the country where the breaking information is transmitted, etc.) may be provided, and the area information tag may be used for analyzing the breaking news supply data 132. . That is, the regional information tag is useful for extracting information suitable for the user from the worldwide breaking information collected from the Internet.

  According to the above example, as in the first embodiment, the bulletin information can be provided to the user even during the reproduction of the content 102 that does not include the bulletin information, and convenience is improved. The above example is particularly suitable for an environment where a dedicated server for breaking information is not prepared.

  It is also possible to configure a content reproduction processing apparatus by combining the first and second embodiments.

<Embodiment 3>
In the first and second embodiments, the case where the breaking information source 130 is a server or a website on the Internet is exemplified. On the other hand, in the third embodiment, the case where the breaking information source 130 is a broadcasting company and the breaking information is acquired from the broadcasting company is exemplified. For example, by associating a predetermined broadcaster with the reproduction target content 102 in advance, the broadcaster can be used as the breaking information source 130.

  More specifically, there is an example in which the content 102 of the content source 100 is reproduced using a reproduction control metafile. According to the reproduction control metafile, for example, for information (hereinafter also referred to as content provider information) for specifying a content provider, a production provider, a right subject, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as a content provider). This tag can be provided, and content provider information may be described in the tag. As a result, it is possible to associate the reproduction target content 102 with a predetermined content provider. Further, content provider information and information (hereinafter also referred to as broadcaster information) for specifying a predetermined broadcaster (for example, a digital terrestrial television broadcaster, a CATV operator, etc.) By associating, it is possible to indirectly associate the reproduction target content 102 with a predetermined broadcaster via the content provider information. Note that the information regarding the association between the content provider and the broadcaster may be provided by the VOD service provider or another provider.

  Alternatively, a tag for describing the broadcaster information may be provided in the reproduction control metafile, and the reproduction target content 102 and a predetermined broadcaster may be directly associated with each other.

  It should be noted that a method other than the reproduction control metafile may be employed for associating the reproduction target content 102 with the broadcaster used as the breaking news information source 130.

  FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of a content reproduction processing apparatus 20B according to the third embodiment. The reproduction processing apparatus 20B has a configuration in which the breaking information processing means 300 is changed to breaking information processing means 300B in the reproduction processing apparatus 20 (see FIG. 1). The other parts of the playback processing device 20B are basically configured in the same manner as the playback processing device 20 and operate in the same manner as the playback processing device 20. Note that the reproduction processing device 20B can be applied to the content reproduction system 10 (see FIG. 1) in place of the reproduction processing device 20.

  The bulletin information processing unit 300B according to the third embodiment includes a bulletin supply data acquisition unit 302B and a bulletin information extraction unit 304B.

  The bulletin supply data acquisition unit 302B is a unit for acquiring the bulletin supply data 132 from the broadcaster and corresponds to, for example, a front-end module for receiving a broadcast wave (in other words, a broadcast signal) of terrestrial digital television. To do. For example, when the breaking news information source 130 is a CATV provider, the breaking news supply data acquisition unit 302B is configured in accordance with a CATV broadcast signal.

  The bulletin information extraction unit 304B identifies the broadcaster associated with the playback target content 102, acquires the broadcast by the identified broadcaster via the bulletin supply data acquisition unit 302B, and obtains the bulletin from the acquired broadcast. Extract information. That is, the received broadcast is used as the breaking news supply data 132.

  In the example of FIG. 5, the bulletin information extraction unit 304B includes a broadcaster identification unit 310, a broadcast TS separation unit 312, a video processing unit 314, an audio processing unit 316, and a character super processing unit 318. .

  The broadcast provider specifying unit 310 acquires the content provider information 110 from the main content processing unit 200 (from the content acquisition unit 202 or the content reproduction unit 204 according to the example of Embodiment 1), for example, and acquires the acquired content. A predetermined broadcaster associated with the reproduction target content 102 is specified from the provider information 110.

  Note that the information on the association between the content provider and the broadcaster may be downloaded in advance into the reproduction processing apparatus 20B, or the broadcaster specifying means 310 may obtain the content acquisition means whenever necessary. You may make it acquire via 202.

  Alternatively, the broadcast provider specifying unit 310 may be configured to acquire the broadcast provider information 112 itself from the main content processing unit 200.

  When the broadcaster associated with the content to be reproduced 102 is specified, the broadcaster specifying unit 310 selects the channel received by the breaking news supply data acquiring unit 302B as the specified broadcaster. Thereby, the bulletin supply data acquisition unit 302B can receive the broadcast of the specified broadcaster. The received broadcast signal is subjected to processing such as demodulation and error correction, and is transmitted to the broadcast TS separation means 312.

  Broadcast TS separation means 312 separates video TS packets and audio TS packets from TS-format broadcast signals. Here, it is assumed that the broadcast signal includes a packet for text super, and the TS packet for text super is also separated by the broadcast TS separation means 312.

  The video processing unit 314 decodes the separated video packet, extracts the breaking information from the decoded video, and outputs the extracted breaking information as the breaking visual content 140 to the synthesizing unit 400.

  The audio processing unit 316 decodes the separated audio packet, extracts the breaking information from the decoded sound, and outputs the extracted breaking information as the breaking audio content 142 to the synthesizing unit 400.

  The character super processing unit 318 decodes the separated character super packet, extracts the breaking information from the decoded data, and outputs the extracted breaking information as the breaking visual content 140 to the synthesizing unit 400.

  Note that the breaking information may be obtained from all of video, audio, and text supervision, or the breaking information may be obtained from only some of them. In some cases, the breaking information cannot be obtained from any of these (for example, the breaking information is not originally included).

  In the following, the processing in the character super processing means 318 will be illustrated more specifically. The received character super data may contain additional information (for example, instruction information about display position, display timing, reproduction of built-in sound, etc.) in addition to character string data to be displayed. In this case, the character super processing means 318 extracts display character string data by analyzing the data structure (predefined) of the received data, constructs the extracted character string as a graphic, and generates the generated graphic. Output as breaking visual content 140.

  At this time, for example, it is determined by character search whether the received character string includes character strings ("breaking news", "earthquake", "disaster", "tsunami", etc.) characteristic of the breaking news information, A part including such a characteristic character string may be extracted as breaking information.

  If the additional information includes display timing instruction information, the character super processing means 318 outputs the breaking visual content 140 in accordance with the display timing instruction.

  Next, the processing in the video processing unit 314 will be illustrated more specifically. In particular, when breaking information is superimposed as a telop on the received video, it is possible to extract the breaking information by analyzing the presence of such a telop. For example, according to an analysis method such as optical character recognition, a character string in an image can be extracted. The video processing unit 314 constructs the extracted character string as a graphic, and outputs the generated graphic as the breaking visual content 140.

  At this time, for example, it is determined by character search whether or not the extracted character string includes a character string characteristic in the breaking information (“breaking”, “earthquake”, “disaster”, “tsunami”, etc.) A part including such a characteristic character string may be extracted as breaking information.

  In addition, since the telop of breaking information is often displayed on the upper side of the screen, for example, a character string displayed in that portion may be extracted as breaking information.

  Next, the process in the audio processing unit 316 will be illustrated more specifically. In particular, when breaking information is included in the received voice, the beginning of the sound output includes a sound (chime sound, alarm sound, etc.) that is characteristic of the breaking information, and such characteristic sound is stylized. There are many. For this reason, it is possible to extract the bulletin information by detecting such a characteristic routine voice from the received voice. The characteristic fixed sound can be detected by, for example, an analysis method in which the fixed sound data is given to the content reproduction processing apparatus 20B in advance and the fixed sound data and the received sound data are compared. .

  The audio processing unit 316 extracts, for example, a predetermined amount of time of sound from the detection position of the characteristic fixed sound as breaking information, and outputs the extracted breaking information as the breaking auditory content 142.

  Note that two or three of the three processing units 314, 316, and 318 refer to each other's processing results and the like, so that it is possible to more reliably specify the portion where the breaking information is inserted in the received broadcast.

  According to the above example, as in the first embodiment, the bulletin information can be provided to the user even during the reproduction of the content 102 that does not include the bulletin information, and convenience is improved. In particular, according to the example of digital terrestrial television broadcasting, it is possible to extract the breaking information using a variety of information sources such as text super, telop and voice, so that the breaking information can be provided more reliably. Can do.

  It should be noted that the content reproduction processing apparatus can be configured by variously combining the first to third embodiments.

<Modification 1 of Embodiment 3>
In the above, the case where the reproduction target content 102 is acquired via the Internet has been exemplified. On the other hand, when the playback target content 102 is acquired from a content distribution server connected to the LAN, a broadcaster related to the content being played back from the content distribution server using a protocol such as UPnP (Universal Plug and Play). A modification in which the information 112 is acquired in the form of a metafile or the like is given.

  In addition, when the playback target content 102 is acquired from an external device connected by HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) or the like, broadcaster information 112 related to the content being played back by a command such as CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) or the like. The modification which acquires is mentioned.

  In addition, when the content recorded from a television broadcast or the like is set as the content to be played back 102, when the recording unit performs recording, the broadcaster information 112 about the broadcaster is recorded together with the recorded content or separately from the recorded content. A modification example is given.

<Embodiment 4>
FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of a content reproduction processing apparatus 20C according to the fourth embodiment. The reproduction processing apparatus 20C has a configuration in which an audio adding means 600 is added to the reproduction processing apparatus 20 (see FIG. 1). The reproduction processing device 20C can be applied to the content reproduction system 10 (see FIG. 1) instead of the reproduction processing device 20.

  The audio adding unit 600 is a unit that generates audio content (in other words, auditory content) for notifying the user that the reproduction processing device 20C is outputting breaking information. More specifically, the audio reproduction means 600 acquires information (also referred to as “breaking content output notification information”) 150 for notifying the output of the breaking content 138 by the breaking information processing means 300 from the breaking information processing means 300, and the obtained breaking information Based on the content output notification information 150, the additional audio content 170 is output to the synthesis unit 400.

  In the example of FIG. 6, the voice adding unit 600 includes a voice synthesis unit 602 and a built-in voice supply unit 604. One of these two means 602 and 604 can be omitted.

  The voice synthesizing unit 602 converts a character string included in the breaking news content 138 output from the breaking news information processing unit 300 into voice content. More specifically, the voice synthesizing unit 602 obtains, from the breaking information extracting unit 304, character string data related to breaking information obtained when the breaking information extracting unit 304 generates the breaking visual content 140. The acquired character string is converted into synthesized speech data using, for example, a text-to-speech technique.

  In this case, the input of the character string included in the breaking news visual content 140 from the breaking information extraction unit 304 can be used as a notification that the breaking information processing unit 300 outputs the breaking content 138. In view of this point, the bulletin content output notification information 150 can be configured by the character string data.

  Further, the speech synthesizing unit 602 further uses the character extraction technology such as optical character recognition to thereby obtain the breaking information from the graphic output from the breaking information extracting unit 304 as the breaking visual content 140 or the image based on the graphic. It is also possible to extract a character string relating to, i.e., a character string to be voiced. In this case, the bulletin content output notification information 150 can be configured by the graphic or its original image.

  The audio content 172 based on the synthesized speech generated by the speech synthesis unit 602 is input to the auditory content synthesis unit 404.

  The built-in audio supply unit 604 outputs the audio content 174 built in advance (for example, stored in a nonvolatile memory (not shown)) in advance as the breaking information 138 is output from the breaking information processing unit 300. The audio content 174 is, for example, a chime sound, an alarm sound, a human voice announcement, or the like. The built-in audio content may be output after a predetermined process is performed.

  The built-in audio supply unit 604 can acquire the output timing of the breaking content 138 by the breaking information processing unit 300 based on the input timing of the breaking content output notification information 150. In view of this point, the bulletin content output notification information 150 used by the built-in audio supply unit 604 may be composed of any information. For this reason, the built-in voice supply means 604 can be used as it is, with the bulletin content output notification information 150 used by the voice synthesis means 602 as it is. That is, the same bulletin content output notification information 150 can be used by both means 602 and 604.

  The audio content 174 by the built-in sound output from the built-in sound supply unit 604 is input to the auditory content synthesis unit 404.

  The audio content synthesizing unit 404 synthesizes the input audio content, that is, the main audio content 108, the breaking audio content 142, the audio content 172 by the synthesized audio, and the audio content 174 by the built-in audio. The synthesized audio content 194 is output.

  According to the above example, as in the first embodiment, the bulletin information can be provided to the user even during the reproduction of the content 102 that does not include the bulletin information, and convenience is improved. In particular, since an audio output is added by the audio adding means 600, it is possible to notify the user that the breaking information is being output. For example, it is suitable for situations where the screen cannot be watched for reasons such as cooking, and this also improves convenience.

  It should be noted that the content reproduction processing apparatus can be configured by variously combining the first to fourth embodiments.

  Although the present invention has been described in detail, the above description is illustrative in all aspects, and the present invention is not limited thereto. It is understood that countless variations that are not illustrated can be envisaged without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  10 content playback system, 20, 20B, 20C content playback processing device, 30 content output device, 100 content source, 102 playback target content, 104 main content, 110 content provider information, 112 broadcast provider information, 130 breaking news source, 132 Bulletin Supply Data, 134 Bulletin Information (Bulk Bulletin Information Body), 138 Bulletin Content, 150 Bulletin Content Output Notification Information, 170 Additional Audio Content, 172 Audio Content with Synthetic Audio, 174 Audio Content with Built-in Audio, 190 Synthetic Content, 200 Content processing means, 300, 300B breaking information processing means, 302, 302B breaking news supply data obtaining means, 304, 304B breaking information extraction means, 310 broadcast provider identification means, 314 video processing Means, 316 voice processing means, 318 character super processing means, 400 synthesis means, 600 voice addition means, 602 voice synthesis means, 604 built-in voice supply means.

Claims (7)

Main content processing means for acquiring content to be played back from a content source, playing back the acquired content and outputting it as main content;
Breaking supply data including breaking information not included in the content to be reproduced is acquired from a breaking information source, the breaking information is extracted from the acquired breaking supply data by a predetermined extraction process, and the extracted breaking information is flashed Breaking information processing means to output as content,
When the breaking information is input from the breaking information processing means, the breaking content is combined with the main content, and the resultant combined content is output, while when the breaking content is not input, A content reproduction processing apparatus comprising: synthesis means for outputting main content. The content reproduction processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The breaking information source is one or more websites published on the Internet;
The bulletin information processing means acquires the bulletin supply data from the one or more websites.
Content reproduction processing device. The content reproduction processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
The reproduction target content acquired by the main content processing means is associated in advance with a predetermined broadcaster that can be used as the breaking news information source,
The bulletin information processing means uses the broadcast by the predetermined broadcaster as the bulletin supply data,
Content reproduction processing device. The content reproduction processing device according to claim 3,
The broadcast transmitted by the predetermined broadcaster includes a character super packet,
The breaking information processing means extracts the breaking information from the character super packet.
Content reproduction processing device. The content reproduction processing apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein
The broadcast transmitted by the predetermined broadcaster includes a video on which a telop is superimposed,
The breaking information processing means extracts the character string of the telop as the breaking information,
Content reproduction processing device. The content reproduction processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein
A voice synthesis unit that converts a character string included in the breaking news content into audio content and outputs the voice content, and a built-in voice content that is output in advance as the breaking information is output from the breaking information processing unit. A voice adding unit including at least one of the voice supply unit and the voice supply unit;
The synthesizing unit synthesizes the audio content output from the audio adding unit, the main content, and the breaking content.
Content reproduction processing device. A content reproduction processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A content reproduction system comprising: a content output device that outputs the main content and the composite content output from the content reproduction processing device in a format that can be sensed by at least one of visual and auditory senses. .

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