JP2013090190A - Relay apparatus and relay system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a relay apparatus and a relay system capable of properly relaying image data to a device being used by a viewer.SOLUTION: A home gateway 2 relays distributed image data to plural image reproduction devices 3 to 6. The home gateway 2 comprises: an accepting unit 29 which accepts an account for identifying a user who views the image data, through one of the image reproduction devices; and a repeating control unit 23 which performs relay control according to the account, on the image reproduction devices through which the account has been accepted.

Description

  The present invention relates to a relay device and a relay system for relaying video content distributed from a video server or the like to a television or the like.

  In recent years, a home network is constructed by connecting AV home appliances such as a television and a personal computer to each other, and data, video content, and the like are shared with each other (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such a home network can acquire video content such as IP broadcasts via the Internet.

JP 2011-10084 A

  In the home network, a home gateway connected to a terminating device that terminates a communication line from the outside is distributed based on video content distributed in response to a request from each device side or a determination on the distribution side. Relay video content etc. and distribute to each device.

However, in the home network, a plurality of viewers connect to the network using various devices to view video content and the like. For example, a certain viewer views video content on one TV. However, it may be possible to temporarily stop viewing and try to continue watching on another TV.
In the above case, since the relay apparatus normally performs relay control based on the address assigned to each device, there is a problem that relay control according to the viewer cannot be performed.
Viewers use one of multiple devices connected to the home network to view video content, etc., but the relay device knows what viewers are using that device to view Can not. For this reason, the above-described conventional relay device cannot appropriately perform relay control on the video playback device that is currently used by the viewer.
Originally, broadcasting has a broadcast nature, and viewers select contents according to individual preferences. For this reason, the distribution side is not suitable for actively selecting a viewer or a device of the viewer.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a relay device and a relay system that can appropriately relay video data to a device used by a viewer. To do.

(1) The present invention is a relay device that connects a plurality of video playback devices and relays the distributed video data to the video playback device, for identifying a viewer who views the video data. A reception unit that receives the identification information via any of the plurality of video playback devices; a relay control unit that performs relay control according to the identification information for the video playback device that is interposed in the reception of the identification information; It is characterized by having.

  According to the relay device configured as described above, the relay control unit performs relay control according to the identification information for the video playback device intervening in the reception of the identification information. The video playback device used for viewing can be specified, and relay control corresponding to the viewer can be performed on the specified video playback device. As a result, the video data can be relayed appropriately to the video playback device used by the viewer.

(2) (3) The relay device further includes a storage unit that stores a database in which history information regarding viewing of the video data for each identification information is registered, and the relay control unit is registered in the database It is preferable to perform relay control according to the identification information based on the history information.
In this case, the relay control unit can more appropriately provide suitable content, information, and the like according to the viewer based on the history information.
Furthermore, the relay control unit can also resume the video data based on the history information as relay control according to the identification information.

(4) Further, the relay control unit receives communication data other than the video data transmitted to the viewer, and responds to the identification information to a video reproduction device interposed in the reception of the identification information. The communication data addressed to the viewer may be relayed.
In this case, since the relay control unit relays communication data addressed to the viewer other than the video data to the video playback device used by the viewer, the viewer transmits the communication data via the video playback device. This improves convenience.

(5) Further, the present invention is a relay system including a plurality of video playback devices and a relay device that relays the distributed video data to the plurality of video playback devices. A receiving unit that receives identification information for identifying a person via any one of the plurality of video playback devices, and relay control according to the identification information for the video playback device interposed in the reception of the identification information. And a relay control unit for performing the operation.

  According to the relay system having the above configuration, the same operation and effect as the relay device can be obtained.

  According to the present invention, video data can be appropriately relayed to a video playback device used by a viewer.

It is a figure which shows an example of a home network. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the home gateway which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the input screen which a reception part displays on the screen of each apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of the user database memorize | stored in the memory | storage part. It is a figure which shows an example of the apparatus database memorize | stored in the memory | storage part.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a home network N. As shown in FIG. 1, the home network N is constructed in a user's house H, for example, and includes a home gateway 2 connected to a communication network 1 such as an IP network via a terminal device (not shown). . A personal computer 3, a photo frame 4, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) 5, a television 6, and the like are connected to the home gateway 2 (hereinafter also referred to as HGW 2) so as to be able to communicate with each other by a wired LAN or a wireless LAN. Thus, the home network N is configured.

  The HGW 2 has an interface connected to the communication network 1 and also has an interface by wired LAN or wireless LAN to which each device constituting the home network N such as the personal computer 3 and the television 6 is connected. In addition to having a function of controlling inter-communication, each device has a function as a relay device that performs protocol conversion and relays data communication with the outside through the communication network 1.

The communication network 1 includes a transmission server 7 that transmits or retransmits video data related to video content such as terrestrial digital broadcasting, BS digital broadcasting, and VOD (Video On Demand), and a CDN that also transmits video data related to video content. (Contents Delivery Network) 8 etc. are connected. Note that various digital broadcast video contents may be received by providing a broadcast receiver in the HGW 2 instead of via the communication network 1.
The communication network 1 includes a DRM (Digital Rights Management) server 9, an advertisement server 10 that distributes advertising video data related to advertising content to video playback devices in each home, and a mail for distributing e-mail. A server 11 and a telephone communication line 12 are also connected.
Here, the advertising video data is video data for advertising content distributed independently for the main purpose of advertising. The advertising content represented by the advertising video data is displayed between video content distributed by the transmission server 7 and the CDN 8, or is displayed superimposed on the video content.

A user can view video content by receiving video data distributed from the transmission server 7 or the CDN 8 using the personal computer 3, the photo frame 4, the PDA 5, and the television 6 that are video playback devices. .
Video data transmitted by the transmission server 7 and the CDN 8 is received by the HGW 2 via the communication network 1. The HGW 2 relays the received video data and transmits it to each video playback device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the HGW 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the HGW 2 controls the first IF unit 21 for connecting to the communication network 1, the second IF unit 22 for connecting to each device of the home network N, and the distribution destination of various data. And a relay control unit 23 for performing the above.
In addition, the HGW 2 has a transcoder 24 having a function of converting various types of video data into video data in a format of video data that can be played back by a destination video playback device, and a restriction release unit having a function of releasing playback restrictions by DRM. 25.

  Further, the HGW 2 receives the account as identification information for identifying the user who is the viewer who views the video data, and the video playback indicating the attributes relating to the video playback of each device of the home network N. An acquisition unit 26 that acquires information, a user database 27a in which a user account is registered in association with various types of information, and a device database 27b in which video reproduction information acquired by the acquisition unit 26 is associated with each device are stored. And a storage unit 27.

  The accepting unit 29 has a function of detecting that the power of each device is changed from the off state to the on state in order to accept the user account, and when detecting that each device is turned on, Has a function of displaying an input screen on the screen of each device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an input screen that the reception unit 29 displays on the screen of each device. As shown in the figure, the input screen 40 is provided with input fields 41 and 42 for allowing a user who is actually in front of the screen of the video playback device to input his / her account and password.
When the user operates his / her remote controller or the like to input his / her account and password in the input fields 41 and 42 and operates the “login” button 43 provided on the input screen 40, the receiving unit 29 receives the input account. The video playback device is controlled to transmit the password to the HGW 2. At this time, the reception unit 29 also acquires address information of the video playback device used to input the account, along with the account and password.

  When accepting the user's account, the accepting unit 29 refers to the user database 27a stored in the storage unit 27 and confirms whether the accepted account and password match the information registered in the user database 27a. To do. In this example, the user is identified using an account and a password. However, the user may be identified by fingerprint authentication or other methods. Further, for example, a plurality of icons corresponding to registered users may be displayed, and the user may be identified by selecting one of them.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the user database 27 a stored in the storage unit 27. As shown in FIG. 4, in the user database 27a, an account for each user is registered in association with various information.
As information associated with an account, a user name, password, login status, user information, history information, and resume information are registered. Therefore, the device is used by using the user database 27a.

The password is information for requesting input at the same time as the input of the above-described account, and is information for confirming whether or not the user who requests login is the person himself / herself.
The login status is information indicating which device each user is logged in through, and the device name and / or address used for logging on each user is registered.
As user information, sex, age, e-mail address, telephone number, etc. of each user are registered.
The history information is information such as video data viewed by each user in the past, and can be reproduced for “information of advertisement content reproduced in the past” and “information of image content reproduced in the past” other than advertisement content. Format information and information about the contents are registered.
The resume information is information necessary for the relay control unit 23 to execute a resume process regarding the video data most recently viewed by each user.

  The reception unit 29 refers to the user database 27a stored in the storage unit 27, and when the received account and password match the account and password registered in the user database 27a, the login of the user of the account Allow.

The acquisition unit 26 collects reproducible format information for each device. The collected information is registered in the device database 27b of the storage unit 27.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the device database 27 b stored in the storage unit 27. As shown in FIG. 5, in the device database 27b, information is associated and registered for each device of the home network N. Corresponding to each address information assigned to each.

In the device database 27b, the name of the device, address information such as an IP address assigned to each device, and playable format information are registered.
The reproducible format information is information indicating the data format (reproducible format) of video data that can be reproduced by each device. As shown in FIG. 5, for example, the encoding format (for example, MPEG2), bit rate ( For example, information such as 12 Mbps), frame rate (for example, 30 fps), resolution (for example, 1920 × 1080), aspect ratio (for example, 16: 9), and stream format (for example, TS) are included.

  Each piece of information constituting the reproducible format information may be expressed in a range of values that can be reproduced by each device or in a plurality of formats. This is because a device that reproduces video usually has an allowable range in a reproducible format.

In order to acquire the reproducible format information, the acquisition unit 26 can request each device to transmit information, and can view video content that each device transmits to the transmission server 7 and the CDN 8. If the request signal for requesting includes reproducible format information, the reproducible format information can be acquired from the request signal.
Furthermore, the acquisition unit 26 can acquire the reproducible format information by acquiring and analyzing video data transmitted from the transmission server 7 or the CDN 8 to the device.
The acquisition unit 26 acquires reproducible format information by monitoring each information transmitted to each device while acquiring the information.

Returning to FIG. 2, the relay control unit 23 has a function of receiving video data transmitted from the transmission server 7 or the CDN 8 via the communication network 1 and relaying it so as to be distributed to a predetermined device. .
Further, the relay control unit 23 receives e-mail as communication data other than video data transmitted to the user from the mail server 11 or the telephone communication line 12 and information related to the telephone communication data, and the destination user logs in. It also has a function to relay to existing devices.
The HGW 2 further includes a communication data processing unit 28 having a function of displaying information related to electronic mail and telephone communication data relayed by the relay control unit 23 on the screen of the video reproduction device used by the user. .
When the communication data processing unit 28 receives an e-mail received and relayed by the relay control unit 23 or information related to telephone communication data, the communication data processing unit 28 confirms that the e-mail or phone call is received on the screen of the device to which the destination user is logged in. It has a function of displaying the notification information to be notified and the content of the e-mail on the screen in accordance with a user operation.

  The transcoder 24 converts the video data relayed by the relay control unit 23 into a video data format that can be reproduced by the relay destination device. When the video data or the advertising video data is given from the relay control unit 23, the transcoder 24 acquires the reproducible format information of the device that is the destination of the video data or the advertising video data from the device database of the storage unit 27, and acquires The data format of the video data or the advertising video data is converted based on the reproducible format information.

As described above, the restriction release unit 25 has a function of releasing the reproduction restriction by DRM. For example, when the user views the video content that is restricted by DRM, the restriction release unit 25 requests the DRM server 9 to transmit a release key according to the operation of the user. The release key is data for releasing the video content playback restriction.
When receiving the release key transmitted from the DRM server 9, the restriction release unit 25 uses the release key to release the reproduction restriction of the video content and outputs it to the second IF unit 22.
When the video data and advertisement video data that do not need to be canceled are given, the restriction release unit 25 outputs these data to the second IF unit 22 without any particular processing.

  The video data and advertisement video data output by the restriction release unit 25 are transmitted to each predetermined device set as a destination via the second IF unit 22.

Next, video data relay processing by the HGW 2 of this embodiment will be described.
Here, a process when a certain user views video data using the television A (FIG. 1) will be described.
First, when the user turns on the power of the television A, the reception unit 29 of the HGW 2 that detects the power displays the input screen 40 (FIG. 3) on the screen of the television A.
When the user inputs his / her account and password in each input field provided on the input screen 40 and operates the “login” button 43, the receiving unit 29 receives the input account and password and registers them in the user database 27a. It is confirmed whether or not it matches the received information.

  If the account and password are different from the information registered in the user database 27a, the accepting unit 29 rejects the login of the user, recognizes the user as “guest”, and permits viewing of the television A. . In the user database 27a, specific history information, resume information, and the like for the user recognized as “guest” are not registered, so the HGW 2 does not store the user for the user recognized as “guest”. Although a service for relaying desired video data can be provided, other services described later cannot be provided.

On the other hand, if the account and password match the information registered in the user database 27a, the accepting unit 29 permits the user to log in and confirms that the user has a registered account. Recognize and allow viewing of TV A.
At this time, as described above, the accepting unit 29 acquires the address information of the video reproduction device used to input the account together with the account and the password. The accepting unit 29 registers the acquired address information of the video playback device in the user database 27a in association with the account as the login status of the account of the user permitted to log in.
As a result, the HGW 2 can specify the user who is watching the television A based on the account input when logging in, and thus can provide various services to the user.

  As described above, the HGW 2 according to the present embodiment can receive the user's account via the television A, and can perform relay control according to the account for the television A interposed in the acceptance of the user's account. Accordingly, the video playback device used by the user for viewing the video data can be specified, and relay control corresponding to the user can be performed on the specified video playback device. As a result, video data can be appropriately relayed to the video playback device used by the user.

The HGW 2 can provide a resume function for a logged-in user. For example, when the user is watching a certain video content using the TV A, when the viewing is ended halfway, the relay control unit 23 executes the resume process on the video content in the user database 27a. Resume information necessary to do so is registered in association with the user's account.
Thereafter, when the user logs in via another TV C different from the TV A, the relay control unit 23 refers to the resume information registered in the user database 27a in association with the user's account, The continuation of the video content can be relayed to the television C so that the user can view it.

  In addition, since the history information regarding the video content and advertisement content that each user has viewed in the past is registered in the user database 27a of the HGW 2, the HGW 2 may include the past viewing history (including information regarding the content being viewed). Therefore, it is possible to display video content desired by the user and information regarding advertisement content on the video playback device used by the user, or selectively relay content desired by the user. Furthermore, since user information such as gender and age is registered in the user database 27a, content or information according to the user can be obtained by using these user information instead of or in addition to the history information. It can be provided more appropriately.

  As described above, the HGW 2 of this embodiment includes the storage unit 27 that stores the history information for each user account, the user database 27a in which user information and resume information are registered, and the relay control unit 23 Since it is configured to perform relay control according to the user based on each information registered in the user database 27a, it is possible to more appropriately provide content, information, etc. according to the user.

When the HGW 2 receives an e-mail or telephone communication data addressed to the logged-in user, the HGW 2 sends an e-mail or telephone addressed to the user on the screen of the video playback device to which the user is logged in. The notification information for notifying that it has been received and the content of the e-mail can be displayed on the screen in accordance with the user's operation.
For example, when the HGW 2 receives an e-mail addressed to the user while the user is watching a certain video content using the TV A, the relay control unit 23 stores the user database 27 a in the storage unit 27. Refer to and confirm whether or not the mail address of the received e-mail is registered as a user. If registered, the login status of the user is confirmed.

In this case, since the user is viewing the video content using the television A, the user is logged in via the television A. Therefore, the HGW 2 displays information for notifying the reception of the e-mail on the screen of the television A.
Further, the HGW 2 can display the content of the received e-mail on the screen of the television A in accordance with the user operation.
Thereby, the user can confirm the reception of the e-mail and the contents thereof by the television A that is actually used for viewing the video content.
In addition, when a call is received at a common number with other users, for example, a fixed IP telephone number at home, a user associated in advance with the caller's telephone number is identified, and a call is made to the user. This can be notified on the screen of the video playback device to which the user is logged in.

  As described above, the HGW 2 according to the present embodiment receives e-mail other than video data and communication data such as telephone communication transmitted to the user, and stores the account in the video playback device that is interposed in the account reception. Since the communication data addressed to the user corresponding to is relayed, the user can confirm the communication data via the video reproduction device, and convenience is improved.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment. For example, the HGW 2 receives a data storage unit for storing video data, and a recording reservation request for predetermined content from each video reproduction device by a logged-in user, and stores the predetermined content in the data storage unit. And a recording processing unit for storing the video data.
In this case, each video playback device can perform scheduled recording centrally using the HGW 2, and the user can view the video content recorded by the user with any of the video playback devices.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

2 Home gateway (relay device)
3 PC 4 Photo frame 5 PDA
6 Television 23 Relay Control Unit 27 Storage Unit 27a User Database 29 Reception Unit

Claims (5)

A relay device that connects a plurality of video playback devices and relays the distributed video data to the video playback device,
A receiving unit that receives identification information for identifying a viewer who views the video data via any of the plurality of video playback devices;
A relay apparatus comprising: a relay control unit that performs relay control according to the identification information with respect to the video reproduction device interposed in the reception of the identification information. A storage unit for storing a database in which history information regarding viewing of the video data for each identification information is registered;
The relay device according to claim 1, wherein the relay control unit performs relay control according to the identification information based on history information registered in the database.   The relay device according to claim 2, wherein the relay control unit resumes the video data based on the history information as relay control according to the identification information.   The relay control unit receives communication data other than the video data transmitted to the viewer, and sends it to the video playback device interposed in the reception of the identification information to the viewer corresponding to the identification information. The relay device according to claim 1, wherein the communication data is relayed. A relay system comprising a plurality of video playback devices and a relay device that relays distributed video data to the plurality of video playback devices,
A receiving unit that receives identification information for identifying a viewer who views the video data via any of the plurality of video playback devices;
A relay system, comprising: a relay control unit that performs relay control according to the identification information for a video reproduction device that is interposed in the reception of the identification information.

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