JP2012257074A - Information processing apparatus, information processing method, program and information processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a program, and an information processing system capable of control with high operability by a plurality of external devices through a network.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus according to the technology includes: a reception unit for receiving a control command for information processing from an external device connected through a network; a first determination unit for determining a first priority of the information processing based on the received control command on the basis of at least one of a type of the information processing and a type of first information to be processed; a second determination unit for determining a second priority of information processing in execution on the basis of at least one of a type of the information processing in execution and a type of second information in processing; and a management unit for determining relation between the first priority and the second priority and respectively managing execution of the information processing associated with the control command and execution of the information processing in execution on the basis of the determination result.

Description

  The present technology relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a program, and an information processing system that execute a control command or the like from an external device connected via a network.

  In recent years, as a standard for building a home network in a home, DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) and the like are known. For example, in a network based on this DLNA standard, it is possible to select a desired content in a DMS (Digital Media Server) by a DMC (Digital Media Controller). It is also possible to output the selected content to a DMR (Digital Media Renderer) and reproduce the content. That is, the user can use the DMC as a remote controller.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a television receiver and a plurality of remote controllers using infrared signals. In Patent Document 1, it is possible to identify the remote controller on the television receiver side and give priority to operations by giving specific information to each remote controller (see paragraph [Patent Document 1] [0026] etc.).

JP 2001-61110 A

  The information processing apparatus on the network according to the DLNA standard described above is required to be able to control with good operability using a plurality of remote controllers (for example, a plurality of DMCs).

  In view of the circumstances as described above, it is an object of the present technology to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a program, and an information processing system that enable good operability control via a network by a plurality of external devices. It is in.

In order to achieve the above object, an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present technology includes a reception unit, a first determination unit, a second determination unit, and a management unit.
The receiving unit receives a control command for information processing from an external device connected via a network.
The first determination unit determines a first priority of information processing based on the received control command based on at least one of the type of information processing and the type of first information to be processed.
The second determination unit determines the second priority of the information processing being executed based on at least one of the type of information processing being executed and the type of second information being processed.
The management unit determines a relationship between the first priority and the second priority, and executes information processing related to the control instruction and execution of the information processing being executed based on the determination result. Manage each one.

  In this information processing apparatus, the first priority of information processing based on a control command from an external device is determined based on at least one of the type of information processing and the type of first information to be processed. The second priority of the information processing being executed is determined based on at least one of the type of information processing being executed and the type of second information being processed. Then, the relationship between the first and second priorities is determined, and the execution of each information process is managed based on the determination result. Thereby, control with good operability via a network by a plurality of external devices becomes possible.

The first information may include first priority information for determining the first priority. In this case, the first determination unit may determine the first priority based on the first priority information.
As described above, the first information may include first priority information for determining the first priority. Thereby, for example, an intended setting can be made for the first priority. As a result, it is possible to control information processing for the first information with good operability.

The second information may include second priority information for determining the second priority. In this case, the second determination unit may determine the second priority based on the second priority information.
As described above, the second information may include second priority information for determining the second priority. Thereby, for example, an intended setting can be made for the second priority. As a result, it is possible to control the information processing for the second information with good operability.

The management unit may invalidate execution of information processing related to the control instruction when the second priority is a maximum priority.
As described above, the maximum priority may be set as the second priority. As a result, for example, a mode for prohibiting interruption of information processing being executed can be set as appropriate.

The information processing apparatus may further include a transmission unit configured to transmit information regarding the information processing being executed to the external device when execution of information processing regarding the control command is invalidated by the management unit. .
In this information processing apparatus, when execution of information processing related to the control command is rejected, information related to the information processing being executed is transmitted to the external device that transmitted the control command. Thereby, for example, a user using an external device can grasp the reason why the information processing related to the control command is invalidated.

An information processing method according to an aspect of the present technology includes a reception unit receiving a control command for information processing from an external device connected via a network.
The first determination unit determines the first priority of information processing based on the received control command based on at least one of the type of information processing and the type of first information to be processed.
The second priority of the information processing being executed is determined by the second determination unit based on at least one of the type of information processing being executed and the type of second information being processed.
The management unit determines the relationship between the first priority and the second priority, and manages execution of information processing related to the control instruction and execution of the information processing being executed based on the determination result, respectively. Is done.

A program according to an embodiment of the present technology causes a computer to function as a reception unit, a first determination unit, a second determination unit, and a management unit.
The receiving unit receives a control command for information processing from an external device connected via a network.
The first determination unit determines a first priority of information processing based on the received control command based on at least one of the type of information processing and the type of first information to be processed.
The second determination unit determines the second priority of the information processing being executed based on at least one of the type of information processing being executed and the type of second information being processed.
The management unit determines a relationship between the first priority and the second priority, and executes information processing related to the control instruction and execution of the information processing being executed based on the determination result. Manage each one.

An information processing system according to an embodiment of the present technology includes an information addition device, an external device, and an information processing device.
The information adding device adds priority information to the first information to be processed.
The external device transmits a control command for information processing on the first information via a network.
The information processing apparatus includes a reception unit, a first determination unit, a second determination unit, and a management unit.
The receiving unit receives the control command from the external device connected via the network.
The first determination unit determines a first priority of information processing based on the received control command based on priority information added to the first information.
The second determination unit determines the second priority of the information processing being executed based on at least one of the type of information processing being executed and the type of second information being processed.
The management unit determines a relationship between the first priority and the second priority, and executes information processing related to the control instruction and execution of the information processing being executed based on the determination result, respectively. to manage.

  As described above, according to the present technology, it is possible to perform control with good operability via a network by a plurality of external devices.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a network system according to an embodiment of the present technology. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structural example of the reproducing | regenerating apparatus and controller which concern on this embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the content stored in the recording medium which concerns on this embodiment. It is a typical figure showing an example of a priority setting table concerning this embodiment, and shows a table about a priority set up for every kind of information processing. It is a typical figure showing an example of a priority setting table concerning this embodiment, and shows a table about a priority set up for every kind of the 1st and 2nd information processed. It is a typical flowchart which shows the operation example of the reproducing | regenerating apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a typical figure which shows an example of GUI displayed on the screen output part of the controller which received the information regarding the information processing currently performed by the reproducing | regenerating apparatus concerning this embodiment. 12 is a schematic flowchart showing another example of the operation of the playback apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of a playback device and a controller illustrated in FIG. 2. It is a schematic diagram which shows the other example of the content stored in the recording medium which concerns on this embodiment. It is a typical figure which shows an example of GUI displayed on the screen output part of the controller which received the usage condition information of the reproducing | regenerating apparatus concerning this embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present technology will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Network system configuration]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a network system according to an embodiment of the present technology. The network system 100 includes a playback device 10 as an information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment, and controllers 20 and 30 as external devices according to the present embodiment. The playback device 10 and the controllers 20 and 30 are connected to each other via the home network 40.

  As the home network 40, for example, a network conforming to the DLNA standard is used. However, a network using another protocol may be used.

  Control commands for information processing are transmitted from the controllers 20 and 30 to the playback device 10, respectively. The playback device 10 can receive a control command and execute information processing related to the control command. That is, the controllers 20 and 30 function as a remote controller for controlling the playback device 10.

  In the present embodiment, as information processing based on the control commands of the controllers 20 and 30, content reproduction processing such as audio and moving images is executed. In this case, the content to be played corresponds to the first information or the second information. The first and second information will be described later.

  As illustrated in FIG. 1, the network system 100 includes servers 50 and 60 that provide content to the playback apparatus 10 via a home network 40. For example, the controller 20 or 30 transmits a control command for instructing the playback apparatus 10 to play back content. Upon receiving the control command, the playback device 10 can acquire content from the server 50 or 60 via the home network 40 and execute playback processing.

  Various types of content are stored in the servers 50 and 60, and the type of content played back by the playback device 10 is not limited. For example, the servers 50 and 60 are BD (Blu-ray Disc) recorders or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) recorders equipped with HDDs (Hard disk drives). Then, for example, contents such as “HDD video” and “HDD music” and contents in a recording medium such as BD and DVD are provided to the playback apparatus 10.

  Further, when the servers 50 and 60 can acquire content from a global network such as the Internet, the content may be provided to the playback device 10. The provision of content from the servers 50 and 60 to the playback apparatus 10 is performed in, for example, a streaming format or a download format. Content may be distributed in other formats.

  In the present embodiment, the playback apparatus 10 has a drive unit for reading content from a removable recording medium such as a BD or DVD. In addition, the playback device 10 can acquire content from the global network. Therefore, the content may be read from the recording medium by the drive unit based on the control commands from the controllers 20 and 30. Further, content may be acquired from the global network by control commands from the controllers 20 and 30.

  In addition, various information processing can be considered as information processing executed based on control commands from the controllers 20 and 30. For example, there are processes such as “play”, “stop”, “pause”, “fast forward”, and “rewind” related to the content playback process. Alternatively, for example, there is a recording process of content such as a television program, an input process of important information such as a credit card, and the like.

  As the playback device 10, for example, a television device, a PC (Personal Computer), an audio video receiver, or a home game machine is used. As the controllers 20 and 30, for example, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) such as smartphones, game machines, and the like are used. As the servers 50 and 60, for example, a PC or a network compatible HDD (NAS) is used. In addition, various devices may be used as the playback device 10, the controllers 20 and 30, and the servers 50 and 60.

[Controller configuration]
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of the playback device 10 and the controllers 20 and 30 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 2, the servers 50 and 60 are not shown. In the present embodiment, the controllers 20 and 30 have a configuration similar to each other. Therefore, a configuration example of the controller 20 will be described as a representative.

  The controller 20 includes an operation input unit 21, a screen output unit 22, an operation evaluation unit 23, a device identification information storage unit 24, a setting information storage unit 25, and a network transmission / reception unit 26.

  The operation input unit 21 includes, for example, a cross key and operation buttons (not shown), and receives an operation from a user who uses the controller 20. The screen output unit 22 displays, for example, a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for operating the operation input unit 21. Or the response with respect to operation to the operation input part 21 is displayed. A screen contact type input device such as a so-called touch panel in which the operation input unit 21 and the screen output unit 22 are integrated may be used.

  The operation evaluation unit 23 interprets what instruction is input from the user based on the operation on the operation input unit 21. Then, it is determined how to respond, and control according to the determination result is executed. When it is determined that the instruction from the user is related to the control of the playback device 10, a control command corresponding to the determination result is generated by the operation evaluation unit 23. The generated control command is output to the network transmission / reception unit 26.

  The network transmission / reception unit 26 transmits the control command to the playback device 10 via the home network 40. Further, the content and the like reproduced by the reproduction apparatus 10 may be transmitted by the network transmission / reception unit 26.

  Information unique to the controller 20 is stored in the device identification information storage unit 24 as device identification information. For example, in a general network device, most have a MAC (Media Access Control) address. It is possible to create device identification information based on this MAC address. Also, in the DLNA standard and the UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) standard, a UDN (Uniquely Defined Name) corresponding to the device identification information is used. In addition, various identification information may be used as the device identification information.

  In the setting information storage unit 25, information about setting values for the playback device 10 is stored as setting information. The set value may be, for example, a sound value setting such as a volume value, a hall mode, a concert mode, a karaoke mode, an echo addition, a history of content viewed in the past, a viewing age limit, or a user interface form. To do.

  For example, when the user uses the playback device 10 via the controller 20, various setting values at the time when the playback device 10 was last used are stored as setting information. Then, when the same playback device 10 is controlled next time, various settings are performed with the same setting values as the previous time based on the setting information stored in the controller 20. Thereby, for example, even when the setting of the playback device 10 is changed by a user who uses another controller 30, when the user uses it again, the playback device 10 can be started in the same state.

[Configuration of playback device]
As shown in FIG. 2, the playback apparatus 10 includes an operation state management unit 11, various setting units 12, an audio output unit 13, a screen output unit 14, a recording medium reading unit 15, and a content characteristic evaluation unit 16. A network transmitting / receiving unit 17, a device information storage unit 18, a priority setting information storage unit 19, and an operation evaluation unit 9.

  The network transmission / reception unit 17 receives the control command transmitted from the controllers 20 and 30, the content transmitted from the servers 50 and 60, and the like via the home network 40. The network transmission / reception unit 17 can transmit a response to the control command to the controllers 20 and 30.

  The operation state management unit 11 manages execution of information processing by the playback device 10. That is, the operation state management unit 11 manages what information is executed for what information. The operation state management unit 11 determines the relationship between the first priority of information processing based on the control commands received from the controllers 20 and 30 and the second priority of information processing being executed. Based on the determination result, execution of information processing related to the control command and execution of the information processing being executed are each managed. The operation of the operation state management unit 11 will be described later.

  The various setting units 12 execute setting processing such as the above-described acoustic effect setting. The setting process is executed based on the setting information transmitted from the controllers 20 and 30. Alternatively, it may be executed by a user operation through an operation input unit (not shown) included in the playback device 10. In addition, various settings relating to the operation of the playback apparatus 10 are executed by the various setting units 12.

  The audio output unit 13 outputs content such as music. The screen output unit 14 displays content such as movies and programs. The screen output unit 14 displays various GUIs, for example.

  The recording medium reading unit reads content from a recording medium such as a DVD. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of content stored in a recording medium. Here, the recording medium 51 will be described by taking a rental DVD in which movie content is stored as an example.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the recording medium 51 stores content information 52 representing the content of the movie itself and attached information 53 related to the content information. The attached information 53 is so-called metadata and includes various attribute information indicating the type of content stored in the recording medium 51. The attached information 53 may include attribute information of the recording medium 51.

  In this embodiment, as the attached information 53, information on the title of the content, information on the distribution form (that is, information on whether the content is rented or sold), information on the rental deadline, or the like is added. Is done. In the present embodiment, information (priority value) related to priority, which will be described later, is added as attached information. In addition, various information such as information on the genre of the content, information indicating whether the rented content is a new work or an old work, information on the date when the content was released to the public as a movie, information on performers, etc. are added as attached information May be.

  FIG. 3 shows a rental DVD, which is a solid recording medium, as the recording medium 51. However, as described above, the playback device 10 can acquire content from the global network. Substantial information similar to that described in FIG. 3 may be added to such content.

  For example, there is content with a time limit that takes the form of streaming playback via a network. In such content, information indicating that the content is time-limited content may be added as attached information. Alternatively, information such as a viewable time limit may be added as attached information.

  The content characteristic evaluation unit 16 evaluates the attached information 53 read by the recording medium reading unit 15. Then, the auxiliary information 53 necessary for determining the priority is output to the operation evaluation unit 9. Alternatively, the content characteristic evaluation unit 16 may output the attached information 53 to the operation evaluation unit 9 as it is.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the content characteristic evaluation unit 16 receives attached information from the recording medium reading unit 15. Alternatively, when content is acquired from the servers 50 and 60 via the home network 40, it is possible to receive attached information from the network transmission / reception unit 17.

  The device information storage unit 18 stores device information of the controllers 20 and 30 connected to the home network 40. In this embodiment, when receiving a control command from the controllers 20 and 30, the device identification information of each controller is received. By referring to the received device identification information and the stored device information, it is possible to identify the controllers 20 and 30 that have transmitted the control command.

  The operation evaluation unit 9 determines a first priority of information processing based on the received control command and a second priority of information processing being executed. In the present embodiment, the operation evaluation unit 9 functions as a first determination unit and a second determination unit. The first and second priorities are output from the operation evaluation unit 9 to the operation state management unit 11.

  The first priority is determined based on at least one of the type of information processing based on the control command and the type of first information to be processed. The second priority is determined based on at least one of the type of information processing being executed and the type of second information being processed.

  In the present embodiment, a priority setting table is stored in the priority setting information storage unit 19, and the operation evaluation unit 9 determines the first and second priorities by referring to the table. Is possible.

  4 and 5 are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of the priority setting table. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the priority is indicated by a value, and the higher the value, the higher the priority is set. FIG. 4A is an example of a table for priorities set for each type of information processing.

  For example, a control command for content recording processing is transmitted from the controller 20 to the playback device 10 that is not operating. The playback apparatus 10 that has received the control command executes content recording processing. Although execution of the recording process is managed by the operation state management unit 11, in this embodiment, the control command received in the non-operation state is executed regardless of the priority level.

  In this state, a control command for content playback processing is transmitted from the controller 30 to the playback device 10. The operation evaluation unit 9 of the playback device 10 determines the first priority (priority “3”) of the content playback processing based on the control command based on the priority setting table.

  The operation evaluation unit 9 determines the second priority (priority “4”) of the content recording process being executed. The second priority related to the information processing being executed may be determined when the information processing is executed, and the determined priority may be stored.

  The first and second priorities determined by the operation evaluation unit 9 are transmitted to the operation state management unit 11. The operation state management unit 11 determines the relationship between the first and second priorities, and manages the execution of the content reproduction process and the execution of the content recording process based on the determination result. In the present embodiment, the control command for content reproduction processing with low priority is invalidated. Then, the content recording process with a high priority is continuously executed.

  The important information input process shown in FIG. 4A is an information input process for a credit card or the like, for example. For example, when an input screen is displayed and important information is input, the operation is switched to another operation by a control command from another controller. In such a case, for example, a problem may occur from the viewpoint of security or the like. Therefore, the maximum priority, which is the maximum priority, is set for such information processing (priority “MAX”). As a result, any control command transmitted from another controller is rejected while the input process is being executed. As information processing in which the maximum priority is set, for example, software update processing can be considered.

  Priorities may be set as appropriate for information processing other than the information processing shown in FIG.

  FIG. 4B is another example of a table for priorities set for each type of information processing. In FIG. 4B, the first priority and the second priority are set separately for each type of information processing. That is, in each information processing, the first priority and the second priority are set separately.

  For example, when an important information input process is being executed, the priority (second priority) is the highest. Therefore, input processing is not interrupted by other information processing. On the other hand, if the important information input process is based on a control command transmitted during another process, the priority (first priority) is set low. Thus, important information input processing is not interrupted during execution of other information processing. As a result, it is possible to prevent the input process of important information from being started in an unstable state.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a table for the priority set for each type of first and second information to be processed. Here, a content reproduction process is taken as an example. That is, the type of the first and second information to be processed corresponds to the type of content. The type of content is determined based on the attached information evaluated by the content characteristic evaluation unit 16 shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 5A, the content to be reproduced is classified into “HDD content”, “DVD content”, and “network content”. “HDD content” is content stored in an HDD such as the server 50 or 60, for example. “DVD content” is content read from a DVD. “Network content” is content acquired using a content distribution service via a global network.

  In the priority setting table shown in FIG. 5A, the content to be reproduced is classified according to whether it is rented or sold. The rented content is time-limited content with a viewable time limit. Accordingly, since the rented content is required to be viewed within the time limit, the content becomes more important than the sold content. As a result, in the rented content, the priority is set high so that viewing is not interrupted by other information processing.

  In the table shown in FIG. 5A, the rental content is classified according to whether it is a new work (Rental New) or an old work (Rental). In general, new content has a shorter rental period and a shorter deadline for viewing. Also, rental fees are higher for new content. Therefore, the priority of the new content is set higher.

  Further, in the case of network content or the like, when the viewing period has expired, it is often impossible to view the content. On the other hand, in the case of DVD content, an overdue charge or the like may occur due to the rental period being exceeded. Therefore, in this embodiment, a high priority is set for the DVD content.

  In FIG. 5B, content is classified based on information (priority value) related to priority included in the attached information. In the present embodiment, this “priority value” corresponds to first and second priority information for determining the first and second priorities.

  For example, it is assumed that a control command for reproducing content having priority information shown in FIG. In this case, the operation evaluation unit 9 refers to the table shown in FIG. 5B and determines the first priority of the content reproduction process based on the “priority value” that is the first priority information. To do. On the other hand, for example, it is assumed that reproduction processing of content having priority information is currently being executed. In this case, the operation evaluation unit 9 refers to the table shown in FIG. 5B and based on the “priority value” that is the second priority information, the second priority of the content reproduction process being executed. Determine.

  In addition, as the content type, a priority may be set for each type of content such as a moving image, a photo, and audio. Alternatively, the priority may be set based on the genre of content such as a movie or a TV program.

  The first and second priorities of each information processing may be set based on information generally used as content attached information. Alternatively, the first priority information and the second priority information may be added as information for determining the priority by the playback device 10 of the present embodiment. Thereby, for example, the intended setting can be made for the first and second priorities. As a result, the information processing on the first and second information by the playback device 10 can be controlled with good operability.

  Information adding device for adding first and second priority information to first and second information, controllers 20 and 30 which are external devices according to the present embodiment, and information processing device according to the present embodiment An information processing system including the playback device 10 may be used as an embodiment according to the present technology. Any technique for adding the first and second priority information may be employed.

  The priority values shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be appropriately rewritten, for example, by a user operation. For example, when the user controls the playback device 10 using the controllers 20 and 30, an instruction for maximizing the priority may be transmitted simultaneously with transmitting the control command. Alternatively, an instruction to maximize the priority may be transmitted during execution of information processing based on the transmitted control command.

  For example, when the user presses a predetermined button of the controller 20, the priority of the instructed information processing is set to the maximum priority. Then, all control commands from the other controller 30 are rejected from that point. It can also be set such that when the button is pressed again, the state of prohibiting the execution of other information processing is canceled.

  Such a setting is effective, for example, when a user using the controller 20 views a long-time movie content using the playback device 10. That is, it is possible to prevent the content reproduction from being interrupted by another user while watching the movie content.

  Alternatively, priority information may be set on the playback device 10 side. For example, a setting in which interruption is not permitted for a playback process of content with a priority higher than the priority set on the playback device 10 side is also conceivable.

  The priority setting may be changed step by step with the passage of time, for example. For example, in a rented content with a time limit, the priority may be rewritten with a higher priority as the viewing time limit approaches.

  In addition, for example, when the content to be played is a television program, the content is recorded, and it is known that the content can be viewed at any time, the playback processing priority of the content may be set low. .

  In the above description, the information processing priority is set to the maximum priority, so that the interruption of the information processing is prohibited. However, as an operation setting of the playback device 10, an interruption prohibition mode in which interruption of information processing being executed is prohibited may be determined, and the prohibition mode may be switched on and off.

  On / off of the suspension prohibition mode may be switched by a control command from the controllers 20 and 30, or may be switched by the various setting units 12 by an operation on the playback device 10 side. When the information processing interruption prohibition mode is on, the operation evaluation unit 9 may determine that the priority (second priority) of the information processing being executed is the highest. Further, the information processing interruption prohibition mode may be set to on as a basic setting of the playback apparatus 10.

<Operation of playback device>
The operation of the playback apparatus 10 that is the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a schematic flowchart illustrating an operation example of the playback apparatus 10. Hereinafter, a case where the playback apparatus 10 is controlled by the user A who uses the controller 20 and the user B who uses the controller 30 will be described as an example.

  In the flowchart shown in FIG. 6, it is assumed that the user A who uses the controller 20 is executing playback control of DVD content. At this time, the device identification information and the setting information are transmitted from the controller 20 to the playback device 10 together with the control command. As a result, the playback device 10 stores the current device user as user A (controller 20), and the volume value and the like that were set when the user A used the playback device 10 last time are automatically set. .

  In this state, the user B tries to cause the playback apparatus 10 to execute the audio content playback process from another room. As a result, the playback device 10 receives a control command for playback processing of audio content from the controller 30 used by the user B (step 101).

  The operation evaluation unit 9 of the playback device 10 determines the first priority of the playback processing of the audio content related to the received control command and the second priority of the playback processing of the DVD content being executed. Then, the operation state management unit 11 of the playback apparatus 10 determines the relationship between the first and second priorities, and manages the execution of each information process.

  When the second priority is the maximum priority, the operation state management unit 11 invalidates the execution of the audio content reproduction process related to the control command.

  In the present embodiment, in step 102 of FIG. 6, it is determined whether or not the second priority of the DVD content reproduction process is the maximum priority. In this embodiment, a priority is set for an application that operates for DVD content playback processing. In other words, the execution of the DVD content playback process means the activation of an application for the DVD playback process. It is determined whether or not this application can be interrupted at all. Note that priority is not necessarily set for an application.

  When it is determined that the second priority is the maximum priority (Yes in step 102), the instruction from the controller 30 is rejected. That is, the execution of the audio content playback process is invalidated (step 103).

  In the present embodiment, when execution of information processing related to the control command is invalidated by the operation state management unit 11, information related to the information processing being executed is transmitted to the controller 30. The information is generated by the operation evaluation unit 9 and transmitted by the network transmission / reception unit 17.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the screen output unit 32 of the controller 30 that has received information related to the information processing being executed. As shown in FIG. 7, the screen output unit 32 displays a GUI 61 indicating that the audio content reproduction process instructed by the user B has been rejected. Further, the screen output unit 32 displays a GUI 62 indicating that the current user of the playback apparatus 10 is the user A and that the currently executed information processing is the DVD content playback process.

  Thereby, the user B who uses the controller 30 can know who is currently moving the playback apparatus 10 and how. Then, it becomes possible to grasp the reason why the reproduction processing of the audio content related to the control command transmitted via the controller 30 is invalid. As a result, the operability and usability regarding the control of the playback apparatus 10 via the plurality of controllers 20 and 30 are improved.

  If it is determined in step 102 of FIG. 6 that the second priority is not the maximum priority (No in step 102), the process proceeds to step 104. Then, it is determined in advance on the playback device 10 side whether or not an interruption prohibition mode in which interruption of information processing being executed is prohibited is set to ON. In step 105, it is determined whether or not the user A has temporarily set the interruption prohibition mode on via the controller 20.

  When the suspension prohibition mode is set to ON in step 104 or step 105 (Yes in step 104 or Yes in step 105), the execution of the audio content reproduction process is invalidated in step 103. When it is determined that the suspension prohibition mode is not set to ON (No in Step 104 and No in Step 105), the process proceeds to Step 106.

  In the present embodiment, in step 106, it is determined whether or not the DVD content is currently being reproduced. That is, it is determined whether or not the playback apparatus 10 is performing a main operation. For example, if an application for DVD content playback processing is running but content playback or the like is not performed, No in step 106 is selected and the process proceeds to step 107.

  In step 107, the information processing being executed is interrupted, and the audio content reproduction process based on the control command from the controller 30 is executed.

  If it is determined in step 106 that the DVD content is being reproduced (Yes in step 106), the type of the DVD content is determined (step 108). As described above, in the present embodiment, the attached information 53 is evaluated by the content characteristic evaluation unit 16 of the playback device 10.

  Then, it is determined whether or not the DVD content being reproduced has been rented (step 109). If the content being reproduced is network content, it is determined in step 109 whether the content is time-limited.

  In this embodiment, when it is determined that the DVD content being reproduced is rented (Yes in Step 109), the execution of the audio content reproduction process is invalidated in Step 103. If it is determined that the DVD content being reproduced is not rented (No in Step 109), the information processing being executed is interrupted in Step 107, and the reproduction processing of the audio content based on the control command from the controller 30 is performed. Executed.

  As described above, the first priority of the audio content reproduction process or the first priority according to the type of audio content to be reproduced can be set as appropriate. That is, it is possible to appropriately change the processing flow shown in FIG. 6 by appropriately changing the first priority.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic flowchart illustrating another example of the operation of the playback device 10. Again, the playback apparatus 10 is controlled by the user A who uses the controller 20 and the user B who uses the controller 30. It is assumed that user A is executing the DVD content playback process.

  The playback apparatus 10 receives a control command for playback processing of audio content from the controller 30 used by the user B (step 201). Then, in step 202, it is determined whether or not switching of information processing is permitted. That is, it is determined whether or not switching from the DVD content playback process being performed to the audio content playback process related to the control command is permitted. This determination process is executed, for example, according to the process flow shown in FIG.

  When it is determined that switching to the audio content playback process is permitted (Yes in step 202), the DVD content playback process being executed is interrupted, and the audio content playback process related to the control command from the controller 30 is executed. (Step 203).

  If it is determined in step 202 that switching of information processing is not permitted (No in step 202), a request for permission to use the playback device 10 is transmitted to the controller 20 that has transmitted a control command relating to the DVD content playback processing. (Step 204). That is, in the present embodiment, it is possible to reach an agreement for permission to use the playback apparatus 10 with the current user A. Thereby, the operability of the control using the plurality of controllers 20 and 30 is improved.

  In the present embodiment, a GUI representing the user B (controller 30) and audio content reproduction processing as information processing to be executed is displayed on the screen output unit 22 of the controller 20 that has received the use permission request. As a result, the current user A can input a decision as to whether or not to allow the new user B to use the playback apparatus 10.

  The use permission request may be automatically transmitted to the controller 20 when switching to the audio content playback process is not permitted. Alternatively, when switching to the audio content playback process is not permitted, information related to the information processing currently being executed is returned to the controller 30. Then, GUIs 61 and 62 as shown in FIG. 7 are displayed on the screen output unit 32 of the controller 30. Thereby, the user B can grasp the current usage status of the playback apparatus 10. In this state, whether or not to send a use permission request to the controller 20 may be determined by the operation of the user B.

  It is determined whether or not a response to the use permission request is transmitted from the controller 20 (step 205). When it is determined that there is a response from the controller 20 (Yes in Step 205), it is determined whether or not the response is permission to use the playback device 10 by a new user B (Step 206).

  When the response from the controller 20 is permission to use the playback apparatus 10 (Yes in Step 206), the audio content playback process related to the control command from the controller 30 is executed (Step 203). When the response from the controller 20 does not permit the use of the playback apparatus 10 (No in Step 206), the instruction from the controller 30 is rejected (Step 207).

  If it is determined in step 205 that there is no response from the controller 20 (No in step 205), it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed (step 208). That is, the elapsed time since the use permission request is transmitted to the controller 20 is measured using, for example, a timer.

  If it is determined in step 208 that a predetermined time of, for example, several tens of seconds has elapsed, audio content reproduction processing relating to a control command from the controller 30 is executed (step 203). As a result, for example, when the user A who is watching the DVD content is sleeping or when the user A forgets to finish the reproduction processing of the DVD content and leaves, the switching to the audio content reproduction processing is possible. It becomes. As a result, the operability and usability regarding the control of the playback apparatus 10 via the plurality of controllers 20 and 30 are improved.

  The length of the predetermined elapsed time for switching the information processing is not limited and may be set as appropriate. Further, whether or not to reproduce the DVD content may be determined as a condition for switching the information processing when a predetermined time has elapsed. That is, when a predetermined time elapses without a response when the DVD content is not being played back, the user authority may be transferred to the user B and the playback processing of the audio content may be executed.

  As described above, in the playback apparatus 10 that is the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment, the first priority of information processing based on the control commands from the controllers 20 and 30 is the type of information processing and the type of first information to be processed. It is determined based on at least one of the following. The second priority of the information processing being executed is determined based on at least one of the type of information processing being executed and the type of second information being processed. Then, the relationship between the first and second priorities is determined, and the execution of each information process is managed based on the determination result. Thereby, control with good operability via the home network 40 by the plurality of controllers 20 and 30 becomes possible.

  In recent years, not only PCs but also general consumer devices such as video cameras, video recorders, televisions, audio component systems and the like have a network function represented by a LAN (Local Area Network). Yes. In the future, devices such as washing machines and refrigerators will also have network functions and will be able to communicate with other devices.

  Mobile terminals such as smartphones and PDAs are particularly attracting attention and are being improved in functionality. These portable terminals are generally equipped with a network function as standard.

  Since the mobile terminal can communicate with other devices through the network function, it can be used as a so-called remote controller that issues commands to all other devices from a terminal that is normally carried around. Attention has been paid.

  As described above, as a typical example, there is a DMC defined by DLNA in guidelines. The DMC can instruct over the network to browse and play back the content information held by a device that also conforms to the DLNA guidelines.

  Conventional remote controllers using infrared rays as a medium are effective for an unspecified number of devices. Compared to such an infrared remote controller, an advantage of a remote controller using a network function such as DMC is that an instruction can be issued only to one or a plurality of target devices.

  In addition, in a remote controller using infrared as a medium, the controller only issues a command unilaterally. On the other hand, in a remote controller that uses a network function, it determines the success or failure of a command by exchanging information bidirectionally, acquires the status of the control target device, and has its own image display unit and character string display unit It is possible to reflect information in

  Large-sized stationary devices such as televisions, video recorders, and multi-channel speaker systems basically exist in one or a few units in the home. The stationary device is often placed in a specific room such as a living room and shared with the family.

  On the other hand, a portable terminal corresponding to the remote controller is often owned by each person, and it is not uncommon for each person to have a plurality of portable devices. Windows (registered trademark), which is known as a PC operating system, has the above-described DMC equivalent function since version 7. Therefore, it can be said that there are a large number of candidates as controllers on the operation side as compared with a device to be operated such as the playback apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment.

  For this reason, there may be a situation in which a plurality of controllers operate the same target device at once via a network. Many consumer devices currently on the market are designed on the assumption that there is only one control device for a certain device. For this reason, when an operation from a plurality of command systems is performed using a plurality of controllers, there is a possibility that both users will not meet the expectation. For example, the control target device may temporarily execute an operation that is not normally seen, such as the screen of the control target device blinking.

  Further, in the case of remote operation by a network function, unlike infrared, operation is possible even before the eye of the operation target device. Therefore, it can be said that it is easy for a plurality of operators to operate the same device in an individual manner without being able to communicate with each other. With respect to such a situation, in the embodiment according to the present technology, it is possible to perform control with good operability via a network by a plurality of external devices.

For example, the following becomes possible.
Depending on the importance (priority) of content to be played back, such as time-limited content, interruption processing from an external device can be permitted / rejected.
The operation from the external device can be dynamically permitted / rejected depending on the status of the operation state of the control target device.
In addition, permission / rejection determination can be set by the user, and the level of importance (priority) of information processing can be set.
It is possible to associate an external control device with the user and to cause the device to perform behavior and presetting according to the user.
When the control target device (for example, the playback device 10) cannot accept a control command from the control device (for example, the controllers 20 and 30), the user of the control device can be notified of the reason and the current device operator. Also, before executing the command, the user of the control device can be informed of the current status of the device.
A procedure for allowing the user of the control device to transfer the right of use to the current device operator can be performed automatically or from a location distant from each other.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of the playback device 10 and the controllers 20 and 30 illustrated in FIG. For example, a program constituting software for executing the series of processes described above is installed in the computer 200 shown in FIG. The program is installed in a computer from a recording medium, for example. Alternatively, it may be installed via a global network or the like. Further, a computer having dedicated hardware in which a program constituting software is incorporated may be used.

  The computer 200 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 202, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 203, an input / output interface 205, and a bus 204 that connects these components to each other.

  A display unit 206, an input unit 207, a storage unit 208, a communication unit 209, a drive unit 210, and the like are connected to the input / output interface 205. The display unit 206 is a display device using, for example, liquid crystal, EL (Electro-Luminescence), CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), or the like. The input unit 207 is, for example, a pointing device, a keyboard, a touch panel, or other operation device. When the input unit 207 includes a touch panel, the touch panel can be integrated with the display unit 206.

  The storage unit 208 is a non-volatile storage device, such as an HDD, a flash memory, or other solid-state memory. The drive unit 210 is a device capable of driving a removable recording medium 211 such as an optical recording medium, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magnetic recording tape, and a flash memory. On the other hand, the storage unit 208 is often used as a device mounted in advance in the computer 200 that mainly drives a non-removable recording medium.

  The communication unit 209 is a modem, router, or other communication device that can be connected to a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or the like to communicate with other devices. The communication unit 209 may communicate using either wired or wireless communication. The communication unit 209 is often used separately from the computer 200.

  Data processing by the computer 200 is realized by cooperation between the software stored in the storage unit 208 or the ROM 202 and the hardware resources of the computer. Specifically, various data processing is realized by the CPU 201 loading a program that constitutes software stored in the storage unit 208 or the ROM 202 into the RAM 203 and executing the program.

<Modification>
The embodiment according to the present technology is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications are made.

  For example, FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of content stored in a recording medium. In FIG. 3, content attached information is described in XML (Extensible Markup Language) format. On the other hand, in FIG. 10, content attached information 353 is added to the recording medium 351 in a byte pattern. For example, the high priority is set by a numerical value following a predetermined pattern. In the present embodiment, “00000100” following the pattern “1111111100000011” represents the priority value. “00000100” displayed in binary is “4” in decimal. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 10, the priority “4” is set as the priority information (first and second priority information) of the content of the recording medium 351.

  In addition, any technique may be used as a technique for adding content accessory information including priority information to a recording medium. For example, the attached information may be described in another description format such as an HTML format or a text format.

  Before the steps 101 and 201 in the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the user B may be able to confirm the usage status of the playback device 10 using the controller 30. For example, a usage status information request is transmitted to the playback apparatus 10 via the controller 30. In response to the request, usage status information is transmitted from the playback device 10 to the controller 30.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a GUI displayed on the screen output unit 32 of the controller 30 that has received the usage status information of the playback device 10. In this example, a GUI 461 representing the user currently using the playback device 10 and the information processing being executed is displayed on the screen output unit 32. As a result, the user B can grasp that the DVD content is currently being reproduced according to the instruction from the user A. It can also be seen that the program recording process is also executed in accordance with the instruction from user C. Note that the user C is a user of another controller on the home network 40.

  As a result, for example, the user B can determine whether to stop the audio content reproduction processing instruction or to intentionally transmit a control command. Alternatively, a case where a control command is transmitted with the intention of requesting the user A to use the playback apparatus 10 may be considered. As a result, it is possible to perform control with good operability via the home network 40 by a plurality of controllers.

  The priority of information processing based on a control command may be set based on identification information of a user (controller) that has transmitted the control command. That is, a priority may be set for each controller. As described in the above embodiment, the playback device 10 can identify the controller that has transmitted the control command. Therefore, it is determined which controller the control instruction is from, and based on the priority set for each controller, the execution of the information processing related to the control instruction and the execution of the information processing being executed are respectively managed Is possible.

  The priority based on the type of information processing, the priority based on the type of the first and second information to be processed, and the priority for each controller may be appropriately combined. It is also possible to make settings such as not accepting control commands from a specific controller.

  The playback apparatus 10 may store information on setting values corresponding to each controller. That is, the playback apparatus 10 identifies the controller that has transmitted the control command. Then, the previous setting for the controller may be reproduced by the reproduction apparatus 10 based on the stored setting value information.

  For the use permission request to the user A described with reference to FIG. 8, the transmission and response of the request may be performed in a chat format in real time.

  The types and the number of devices such as playback devices, controllers, servers, etc. connected to the home network are not limited.

  In the above, the accessory information indicating the type of content is evaluated by the content characteristic evaluation unit, and the attached information is output to the operation evaluation unit. Then, the priority based on the type of content was determined by the operation evaluation unit. However, the content characteristic evaluation unit may determine the priority based on the content type. That is, the content characteristic evaluation unit may function as the first and second determination units.

  In the above, information processing with high priority is executed, and execution of information processing with low priority is invalidated. However, management of execution of information processing related to control instructions and execution of information processing being executed is not limited to this. For example, information processing with a low priority may be executed after execution of information processing with a high priority is completed. That is, execution of information processing with a low priority may be reserved. In addition, management of execution of each information processing can be set as appropriate.

  As a type of information processing instructed by the controller, content transmission processing is also conceivable. For example, it is assumed that the playback device 10 described above can function as a server that provides content to other playback devices on the home network 40. In this case, a priority is set for the content transmission process, and the priority is compared with the priority of the information processing being executed. The execution of the content transmission process may be managed based on the determination result.

  As a type of information processing, a slide show such as photo content can be considered. In other words, this is a process in which a plurality of photo contents included in a predetermined folder are sequentially displayed. In this case, a priority may be set for the folder.

  For example, the playback device 10 and the controller 20 are wirelessly connected in an ad hoc mode, and the playback device 10 and the controller 30 are also wirelessly connected in an ad hoc mode. Even in such a case, the present technology can be applied.

  In addition, this technique can also take the following structures.

(1) a receiving unit that receives a control command for information processing from an external device connected via a network;
A first determination unit that determines a first priority of information processing based on the received control command based on at least one of the type of information processing and the type of first information to be processed;
A second determination unit that determines the second priority of the information processing being executed based on at least one of the type of information processing being executed and the type of second information being processed;
A management unit that determines a relationship between the first priority and the second priority, and manages execution of information processing related to the control instruction and execution of the information processing being executed based on the determination result; An information processing apparatus comprising:
(2) The information processing apparatus according to (1),
The first information includes first priority information for determining the first priority,
The information processing apparatus, wherein the first determination unit determines the first priority based on the first priority information.
(3) The information processing apparatus according to (1) or (2),
The second information includes second priority information for determining the second priority,
The second determination unit determines the second priority based on the second priority information.
(4) The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (3),
The management unit invalidates execution of information processing related to the control command when the second priority is a maximum priority.
(5) The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (4),
An information processing apparatus, further comprising: a transmission unit configured to transmit information related to the information processing being executed to the external device when execution of information processing related to the control command is invalidated by the management unit.
(6) The receiving unit receives a control command for information processing from an external device connected via a network,
A first determination unit that determines a first priority of information processing based on the received control command based on at least one of a type of the information processing and a type of first information to be processed;
The second determination unit determines the second priority of the information processing being executed based on at least one of the type of information processing being executed and the type of second information being processed,
The management unit determines a relationship between the first priority and the second priority, and manages execution of information processing related to the control instruction and execution of the information processing being executed based on the determination result Information processing method.
(7) a receiving unit that receives a control command for information processing from an external device connected via a network;
A first determination unit that determines a first priority of information processing based on the received control command based on at least one of the type of information processing and the type of first information to be processed;
A second determination unit that determines the second priority of the information processing being executed based on at least one of the type of information processing being executed and the type of second information being processed;
A management unit that determines a relationship between the first priority and the second priority, and manages execution of information processing related to the control instruction and execution of the information processing being executed based on the determination result; As a program that allows the computer to function.
(8) an information adding device for adding priority information to the first information to be processed;
An external device that transmits a control command for information processing on the first information via a network;
A receiving unit for receiving the control command from the external device connected via the network;
A first determination unit that determines a first priority of information processing based on the received control command based on priority information added to the first information;
A second determination unit that determines the second priority of the information processing being executed based on at least one of the type of information processing being executed and the type of second information being processed;
A management unit that determines a relationship between the first priority and the second priority, and manages execution of information processing related to the control instruction and execution of the information processing being executed based on the determination result; An information processing system comprising: an information processing apparatus having:

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 ... Operation evaluation part 10 ... Playback apparatus 11 ... Operation state management part 16 ... Content characteristic evaluation part 17 ... Network transmission / reception part 19 ... Priority setting information storage part 20, 30 ... Controller 40 ... Home network 50 ... Server 52 ... Content information 53, 353 ... Attached information 100 ... Network system 200 ... Computer

Claims (8)

A receiving unit for receiving a control command for information processing from an external device connected via a network;
A first determination unit that determines a first priority of information processing based on the received control command based on at least one of the type of information processing and the type of first information to be processed;
A second determination unit that determines the second priority of the information processing being executed based on at least one of the type of information processing being executed and the type of second information being processed;
A management unit that determines a relationship between the first priority and the second priority, and manages execution of information processing related to the control instruction and execution of the information processing being executed based on the determination result; An information processing apparatus comprising: The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The first information includes first priority information for determining the first priority,
The information processing apparatus, wherein the first determination unit determines the first priority based on the first priority information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The second information includes second priority information for determining the second priority,
The second determination unit determines the second priority based on the second priority information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The management unit invalidates execution of information processing related to the control command when the second priority is a maximum priority. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
An information processing apparatus, further comprising: a transmission unit configured to transmit information related to the information processing being executed to the external device when execution of information processing related to the control command is invalidated by the management unit. The receiving unit receives a control command for information processing from an external device connected via a network,
A first determination unit that determines a first priority of information processing based on the received control command based on at least one of a type of the information processing and a type of first information to be processed;
The second determination unit determines the second priority of the information processing being executed based on at least one of the type of information processing being executed and the type of second information being processed,
The management unit determines a relationship between the first priority and the second priority, and manages execution of information processing related to the control instruction and execution of the information processing being executed based on the determination result Information processing method. A receiving unit for receiving a control command for information processing from an external device connected via a network;
A first determination unit that determines a first priority of information processing based on the received control command based on at least one of the type of information processing and the type of first information to be processed;
A second determination unit that determines the second priority of the information processing being executed based on at least one of the type of information processing being executed and the type of second information being processed;
A management unit that determines a relationship between the first priority and the second priority, and manages execution of information processing related to the control instruction and execution of the information processing being executed based on the determination result; As a program that allows the computer to function. An information adding device for adding priority information to the first information to be processed;
An external device that transmits a control command for information processing on the first information via a network;
A receiving unit for receiving the control command from the external device connected via the network;
A first determination unit that determines a first priority of information processing based on the received control command based on priority information added to the first information;
A second determination unit that determines the second priority of the information processing being executed based on at least one of the type of information processing being executed and the type of second information being processed;
A management unit that determines a relationship between the first priority and the second priority, and manages execution of information processing related to the control instruction and execution of the information processing being executed based on the determination result; An information processing system comprising: an information processing apparatus having:

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