JP2017050659A - Distribution system, equipment and distribution managing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system for performing pairing for content distribution when plural devices are located within a predetermined geographical range.SOLUTION: A distribution system includes first equipment 200, second equipment 300, and a distribution management device 100. The distribution management device 100 receives first equipment position information representing the geographical position of the first equipment 200 from the first equipment 200, transmits the first information to the first equipment 200, and transmits second information and second device 300 from the second device 300, and receives second information and second equipment position information representing the geographical position of the second equipment 300 from the second equipment 300, when the first information and the second information are compared with each other and coincident with each other, determines whether the first equipment position information and the second equipment position information correspond to each other, and when the first equipment position information and the second equipment position information correspond to each other, sets the second equipment 300 to a content-distribution allowable state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a distribution system between devices, a device in the distribution system, and a pairing method.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a method of using position information for pairing for communication. In this method, position information of each of these devices is used in pairing for enabling communication between a television receiver or the like installed in the user's home and the user's mobile terminal or the like. Yes.

JP 2012-80482 A

  The present disclosure provides a distribution system, a device, and a pairing method that apply appropriate restrictions on content distribution.

  The distribution system according to the present disclosure includes a first device, a second device that holds or relays content, and a communication path between the first device and the second device that are paired for communication. A distribution management device for managing distribution of the content from the second device to the first device, wherein the first device transmits data to and from the distribution management device. A first communication unit for transmitting and receiving, a first storage unit, a position detector that outputs first device position information indicating a geographical position of the first device, the first communication unit, and the first storage unit And a first control unit communicably connected to the position detector, the second device includes a second communication unit for transmitting and receiving data to and from the distribution management device, and a geography of the second device. Storing second device position information indicating the target position A second storage unit, an input unit that receives input of data, the second communication unit, the second storage unit, and a second control unit that is communicably connected to the input unit. The apparatus includes a third communication unit for transmitting / receiving data to / from the first device and the second device, a third storage unit, and a third communication unit connected to be communicable with the third communication unit and the third storage unit. A control unit, wherein the first control unit of the first device acquires the first device position information from the position detector, and uses the acquired first device position information for the pairing. When the first control information is received by the third control unit of the distribution management device, the first information used for pairing is transmitted to the first device. And further associating the first information with the first device information. The second control unit of the second device includes the second information acquired by being input to the input unit and the second device position information of the second device. The second device information used for the pairing is transmitted to the distribution management device, and the third control unit of the distribution management device receives the first information stored in the third storage unit and the received first information The second information included in the two device information is collated, and when the collation result indicates a match between the first information and the second information, the information is stored in the third storage unit in association with the first information. It is determined whether the first device position information included in the first device information corresponds to the second device position information included in the received second device information, and the first device position information and the first If it is determined that two device position information corresponds, the second device is distributed. This is a distribution system that performs the pairing by making it possible.

  The distribution system, device, and pairing method in the present disclosure can appropriately limit content distribution.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overview of a distribution system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of the pairing operation of the distribution system in the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an outline of content distribution operation of the distribution system according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating a pairing procedure executed in the distribution system according to the embodiment. FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a display example on the user interface of the moving body when pairing is executed in the embodiment. FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating a display example on the user interface of the moving body when pairing is executed in the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of pairing management information held by the server in the embodiment. FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating a display example on the user interface of the indoor unit when pairing is executed in the embodiment. FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating a display example on the user interface of the indoor unit when pairing is executed in the embodiment. FIG. 7C is a diagram illustrating a display example on the user interface of the indoor unit when pairing is executed in the embodiment. FIG. 7D is a diagram illustrating a display example on the user interface of the indoor unit when pairing is executed in the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram illustrating a procedure of content distribution with restriction performed by the distribution system according to the embodiment. FIG. 9A is a diagram illustrating a display example on the user interface of the moving body when the restricted content distribution is executed in the embodiment. FIG. 9B is a diagram illustrating a display example on the user interface of the moving object when the restricted content distribution is executed in the embodiment. FIG. 10A is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of a content list transmitted from a mobile unit to a server in the embodiment. FIG. 10B is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of a content list edited in the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a detailed procedure related to content distribution permission in the embodiment.

(Knowledge that became the basis of this disclosure)
The inventors of the present disclosure have found a problem that the limit distance that can be paired may be insufficient in the conventional pairing method.

  In the conventional pairing method, a device that distributes content to the same LAN (Local Area Network) in the user's home is connected to the distributed content, for example, a video recorder and a mobile terminal, and the mobile terminal is connected to the LAN. Recognize video recorder. Then, a key ID for communication encryption held by the mobile terminal is transmitted from the mobile terminal to the video recorder via the LAN. In addition, instead of connection via the same LAN, various connection cables, connection by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), infrared communication, or the like can be used. In yet another method described in Patent Document 1, it is not necessary to connect the parent device and the child device to be paired to the same LAN, the management server obtains the position information of each device, and these positions Based on the information, these devices are used to determine that they are in the same location. In this method, about several tens of meters are assumed as the same place. However, it cannot be paired by these pairing methods if there are circumstances that cannot be easily brought into the user's house, such as an in-vehicle TV, or placed near the user's house.

  In order to solve such a problem, a distribution system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a first device, a second device that holds or relays content, and the first device that is paired for communication. A distribution system for pairing, comprising: a distribution management device that manages distribution of the content from the second device to the first device via a communication path with the second device. The first device outputs a first communication unit for transmitting and receiving data to and from the distribution management device, a first storage unit, and first device position information indicating a geographical position of the first device. And a first control unit communicably connected to the first communication unit, the first storage unit, and the position detector, and the second device transmits and receives data to and from the distribution management device. A second communication unit for the geography of the second device A second storage unit that stores second device position information indicating a position, an input unit that receives input of data, the second communication unit, the second storage unit, and the input unit are connected to be communicable with each other. A second control unit, and the distribution management device includes: a third communication unit for transmitting / receiving data to / from the first device and the second device; a third storage unit; the third communication unit; A third control unit communicably connected to the three storage units, wherein the first control unit of the first device acquires the first device position information from the position detector and acquires the first The device location information is included in the first device information used for the pairing and transmitted to the distribution management device. When the third control unit of the distribution management device receives the first device information, the pairing is performed. Transmitting the first information used for the first device to the first device; The first information and the first device information are associated with each other and stored in the third storage unit, and the second control unit of the second device inputs the second information acquired by being input to the input unit and the second information. Second device information used for the pairing including second device position information of two devices is transmitted to the distribution management device, and the third control unit of the distribution management device stores the third device information in the third storage unit The first information is collated with the second information included in the received second device information, and when the result of the collation indicates a match between the first information and the second information, Whether or not the first device position information included in the first device information stored in the third storage unit in association with the second device position information included in the received second device information corresponds to The first device position information corresponds to the second device position information. If it is determined, the pairing is executed by bringing the second device into a state where the distribution is possible.

  For example, the user acquires the first information transmitted from the distribution management device to the first device outside the user's home from the display included in the first device. By confirming with the distribution management device that the first information has been input to the second device at the user's home, the distribution management device can associate these devices as if they were under the same user's management. it can. Then, if the distribution management device acquires the position of the first device from the information output by the global positioning system included in the first device and further acquires the position information of the second device, these devices are geographically predetermined. It can be determined whether it is within the range. Then, based on the association and determination result, the distribution management device is configured such that the first device and the second device are geographically separated even if the first device and the second device are physically further separated from the user's home. The pairing for enabling the content distribution from the second device to the first device can be performed on the condition that the content is within a predetermined range. In other words, content distribution is limited when the condition is satisfied and pairing is established.

  For example, the third control unit of the distribution management apparatus further includes first time information that is time information related to the first device information or first information, and second time that is time information related to the second device information. Information is obtained, it is determined whether or not the first time information and the second time information correspond, and when it is determined that the first time information and the second time information correspond, the second time information The pairing may be executed by putting the device into a state where the distribution is possible.

  Thereby, the load of the third device due to holding the first information that is not input to the second device for the user's convenience indefinitely is reduced. In addition, it is possible to add a restriction in terms of time to try pairing the first device and the second device with a large distance.

  For example, the first device information further includes key information, and the third control unit can distribute the second device by providing the key information to the second device via a third communication unit. It may be in any state.

  Thereby, the distribution of content from the second device to the first device is performed by communication encrypted using the key information.

  For example, the second device position information is a zip code, and the third control unit is configured such that the point indicated by the first device position information is included in the geographical position indicated by the second device position information. It may be determined that the one device position information corresponds to the second device position information.

  As a result, the first device is paired with the first device and the second device at the user's home on the condition that the location of the user's home and the postal code are in the same area or in the vicinity thereof. Can ring.

  For example, in the distribution system, after the third control unit further executes the pairing, the second device position information is reacquired from the second device, and the second device information included in the second device information is acquired. It is determined whether or not the device position information and the re-acquired second device position information match, and the second device position information included in the second device information and the re-acquired second device position information When it is determined that does not match, the second device may be in a state where the distribution is impossible. In addition, for example, the content is data of a broadcast program acquired by the second device, and the third control unit further includes a geographical location indicated by the second device position information included in the broadcast area of the broadcast program. If it is determined that the geographical position indicated by the second device position information is included in the broadcast area of the broadcast program, distribution of the content may be permitted.

  Thus, for example, when the content is a TV broadcast program, an unauthorized means is used between the first device and the second device at a distance that the user sandwiches the boundary of the TV broadcast area. When pairing is established, it is possible to prevent the user from watching the program broadcast outside the broadcast area of the television where the second device is currently located outside the house. That is, the content to be distributed is limited to content that can be determined to have been acquired in a situation where the pairing establishment condition is satisfied without using any unauthorized means.

  In addition, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, for example, a pairing is performed for communication with a second device that holds or relays content, and distribution of the content from the second device via a communication path is managed by a distribution management device. A first device, a first storage unit, a first output unit that outputs data, a position detector that outputs first device position information indicating a geographical position of the first device, and the first memory Unit, the first output unit, and a first control unit communicably connected to the position detector, the first control unit acquires the first device position information from the position detector, The acquired first device position information is transmitted to the distribution management device, the first information transmitted from the distribution management device is acquired, and the acquired first information is transmitted to the user via the first output unit. In the delivery management device, 1 apparatus position information and the first information are associated with each other, and the first information is collated with the second information acquired by the second apparatus by the input via the user and transmitted from the second apparatus. Indicates the match between the first information and the second information, and indicates the first device position information associated with the first information and the geographical position of the second device transmitted from the second device When it is determined that the second device position information corresponds, the first device is provided with a first device and a position detector that are paired with the second device when the second device is in a state where the distribution is possible. A second device in which distribution of content to be paired and held or relayed for communication with a device to the first device via a communication path is managed by a distribution management device, and the geographical location of the second device Second device position indicating position A second storage unit that stores information; an input unit that receives input of data; and a second control unit that is communicably connected to the second storage unit and the input unit. Acquires the second information via the input unit, acquires the second device position information from the second storage unit, and acquires the acquired second information and the second device position information in the distribution management. The distribution management device transmits a result of collation between the second information and the first information transmitted from the distribution management device to the first device. Corresponding to the second device position information indicating the match, and the first device position information acquired from the position detector by the first device and transmitted to the distribution management device and associated with the first information If it is determined, the third information related to the first information A first device comprising a position detector that is paired for communication or a second device that is paired with the first device by being received from the distribution management device and being enabled for the distribution. A distribution management device that manages distribution of the content from the second device to the first device via a communication path between the device and a second device that holds or relays the content, and a third storage unit And a third control unit communicably connected to the third storage unit, wherein the third control unit obtains a geographical position of the first device acquired by the first device from the position detector. The first device information used for the pairing including the first device position information is received, the first device information is stored in the third storage unit, the first information used for the pairing is acquired, and the first device information is stored. Transmitted to the first device, and further the first information Second device location information indicating the geographical location of the second device, and second information acquired by the second device through input via a user, associated with the first device information and stored in the third storage unit Are received from the second device as second device information used for the pairing and stored in the third storage unit, and the second information included in the received second device information. The first device information included in the third storage unit associated with the first information and stored in the third storage unit when the result of the collation indicates that the first information and the second information match. It is determined whether the device position information corresponds to the second device position information included in the received second device information, and it is determined that the first device position information corresponds to the second device position information. The second device can be distributed It may be implemented as a distribution management device that executes the pairing by.

  Moreover, one aspect of the present disclosure may be realized as a method corresponding to an operation performed by the system or each device described above.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of already well-known matters and repeated descriptions for substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid the following description from becoming unnecessarily redundant and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

  The inventor provides the accompanying drawings and the following description in order for those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and is not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims. Absent.

  For example, numerical values, shapes, materials, constituent elements, arrangement positions and connection forms of constituent elements, steps, order of steps, and the like shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, among the constituent elements in the following embodiments, constituent elements that are not described in the independent claims indicating the highest concept are described as optional constituent elements.

(Embodiment)
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an overview of a distribution system 100 according to an embodiment.

[1. System configuration]
The distribution system 100 is a system that distributes the content from the second device to the first device via a communication path between the first device that is a mobile body and the second device that holds or relays the content. . For example, in the present embodiment, the distribution system 100 includes a mobile unit 200, an indoor unit 300 that holds or relays content, and a server 400. The mobile body 200, the indoor unit 300, and the server 400 are connected to the Internet 600 by wired or wireless communication. In FIG. 1, as an example, the mobile unit 200 is connected to the Internet 600 via the base station 500 by wireless communication. Note that the in-home device 300 and the server 400 may also be connected to the Internet 600 wirelessly. With these connections, the mobile unit 200, the indoor unit 300, and the server 400 can communicate with each other via the Internet 600. That is, the Internet 600 is an example of the above communication path.

  In FIG. 1, a state in which the indoor device 300 is in the user home 700 and the mobile body 200 and the server 400 are outside the user home 700 is shown. This shows a typical example of a situation in which the distribution system 100 is used, and the location of the mobile unit 200, the indoor unit 300, and the server 400 in the present embodiment is not limited. For example, the moving body 200 may be located in the user's home 700. In addition, the base station 500 and the user home 700 are not essential components of the distribution system 100, but are included in this figure to help understand the outline of the system. In FIG. 1, one mobile unit 200, one indoor unit 300, and one server 400, each of which is a component of the content distribution system distribution system 100, are shown. These numbers correspond to the numbers among the components of the distribution system 100. It does not indicate a relationship. These are shown in FIG. 1 as the concept of the components of the distribution system 100. Therefore, for example, a plurality of moving bodies 200 may exist for one indoor unit 300. A plurality of indoor units 300 may exist for one mobile unit 200.

[1-1. Configuration of moving body 200]
The moving body 200 in the present embodiment is a first device that is a moving body. The moving body 200 includes, for example, a control unit 210, a global positioning system (hereinafter also referred to as a GPS (Global Positioning System)) receiver 220, a storage unit 230, a user interface 240, and a communication unit 250. More specific examples of the moving body 200 include a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a car navigation system, and an automobile.

  The control unit 210 in the present embodiment is a first control unit that controls the operation of the first device. The control unit 210 is a processor that executes, for example, a program describing the operation of the moving body 200, and includes a GPS receiver 220, a storage unit 230, a user interface (denoted as user I / F in the drawing) 240, and a communication unit 250. Are communicably connected to each other and transmit / receive signals to / from them. The signal is a signal for controlling the operation of these components or a signal for transmitting data.

  The GPS receiver 220 in the present embodiment is an example of a position detector that acquires and outputs first device position information indicating the geographical position of the first device. The GPS receiver 220 is a module including, for example, an antenna and an arithmetic unit, receives signals from a plurality of GPS satellites, and calculates the current geographical position (latitude and longitude) of the moving body 200 based on the received signals. And output.

  Instead of the GPS receiver 220, a receiver that calculates the current geographical position of the moving body 200 based on signals from other satellite positioning systems may be used. Further, the position detector may further include an inertial sensor. In this case, the position detector outputs a geographical position calculated by further adding information on acceleration and rotation direction of the moving body 200 acquired from the inertial sensor to the geographical position calculated based on the signal from the GPS satellite. May be.

  Storage unit 230 in the present embodiment is a first storage unit included in the first device. The storage unit 230 is a storage medium for storing data temporarily or non-temporarily, for example, and data is written or read by the control unit 210. The data to be written is, for example, data indicated by the geographical position output from the GPS receiver 220, or data acquired via the user interface 240 or the communication unit 250 described later. The read data is, for example, a program necessary for the operation of the mobile unit 200 and a key ID (Identification) for encrypting communication with an external device. Specific examples of the storage medium include flash memory, RAM (Random Access Memory), and hard disk. A ROM (Read-Only Memory) may be used as a storage medium dedicated to data to be read. A plurality of types of storage media may be used as the storage unit 230.

  The user interface 240 in the present embodiment includes an output unit and an input unit (not shown). Video, light emission, vibration, audio, and the like are output via the output unit to present information to the user, and various inputs such as instructions and data are received from the user via the input unit. Specific examples of the user interface 240 include a display, various light emitting elements such as LEDs, a vibration motor, a speaker, a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, various buttons, and a microphone.

  Communication unit 250 in the present embodiment is a first communication unit included in the first device. The communication unit 250 is an interface for transmitting / receiving data to / from the in-home unit 300 and the server 400 via a communication network such as the Internet, and examples include communication modules according to various communication standards.

  Note that the GPS receiver 220, the storage unit 230, and the user interface 240 described above are not provided in the mobile body 200, but are externally connected to a connection interface (not shown) provided in the mobile body 200. It may be a device.

  Of the user interface 240 and the connection interface, those that provide information to the user in a form usable by the user are collectively referred to as a first output unit. In the case of the user interface 240, a display, various light emitting elements such as LEDs, vibration motors, and speakers are connected to the first output unit. Applicable.

  When the moving body 200 is a car, the control unit 210, the GPS receiver 220, the storage unit 230, the user interface 240, and the communication unit 250 are included in a car navigation system (not shown) provided in the car. It may be a part.

[1-2. Configuration of indoor unit 300]
Home device 300 in the present embodiment is a second device that holds or relays content. The indoor unit 300 includes, for example, a control unit 310, a tuner 320, a storage unit 330, a user interface (denoted as user I / F in the drawing) 340, and a communication unit 350. More specific examples of the indoor unit 300 include a television receiver, a video recorder, a personal computer, and a home server.

  The control unit 310 in the present embodiment is a second control unit that controls the operation of the second device. The control unit 310 is a processor that executes a program describing the operation of the indoor unit 300, for example, and is communicably connected to the tuner 320, the storage unit 330, the user interface 340, and the communication unit 350. Send and receive. The signal is a signal for controlling the operation of these components or a signal for transmitting data.

  Tuner 320 in the present embodiment receives a radio wave for broadcasting such as a television or radio received by an antenna (not shown) and outputs an audio signal and / or a video signal.

  Storage unit 330 in the present embodiment is a second storage unit included in the second device. The storage unit 330 is a storage medium for storing data temporarily or non-temporarily, for example, and the control unit 310 writes and reads data. The data to be written is, for example, audio or video data output from the tuner 320, or data acquired via the user interface 340 or the communication unit 350 described later. That is, when the home device 300 has a function of storing content such as video and music, the video data and audio data that are the content are stored in the storage unit 330. Further, management data of these data may be stored. Examples of management data include a title, a recording date, a reproduction time, image quality or sound quality, and a source such as a broadcasting station. The read data is, for example, a program and various setting parameters necessary for the operation of the home device 300. Specific examples of the storage medium include flash memory, RAM, and hard disk. A ROM may be used as a storage medium dedicated to data to be read. A plurality of types of storage media may be used as the storage unit 330.

  The user interface 340 in the present embodiment includes an output unit and an input unit (not shown). Video, light emission, vibration, voice, and the like are output to the user via the output unit to present information to the user, and various inputs such as instructions and data are received from the user via the input unit. Specific examples of the user interface 340 include a display, various light emitting elements such as LEDs, a vibration motor, a speaker, a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, various buttons, and a microphone. Moreover, the remote controller provided with one or more of these may be sufficient.

  Communication unit 350 in the present embodiment is a second communication unit provided in the second device. The communication unit 350 is an interface for transmitting / receiving data to / from the mobile body 200 and the server 400 via the Internet. Examples of the communication unit 350 include communication modules according to various communication standards.

  The tuner 320, the storage unit 330, and the user interface 340 are not provided in the home device 300, but are external devices that are used by being connected to a connection interface (not shown) provided in the home device 300. There may be. For example, the storage unit 330 may be an external storage device for expansion / replacement. Further, for example, the user interface 340 may be a screen of a television receiver connected to the indoor unit 300 that does not include a display screen such as a video recorder. Alternatively, it may be a remote controller provided with a screen and hardware or software operating keys or a portable device that can be used as a remote controller. Further, if the home device 300 does not have a function of receiving radio waves for broadcasting such as television and radio, the tuner 320 may not be provided.

[1-3. Configuration of Server 400]
The server 400 in the present embodiment is a distribution management device that manages distribution of content from the second device to the first device. The server 400 includes, for example, a control unit 410, a storage unit 430, and a communication unit 450. A more specific example of the server 400 is a so-called server computer.

  The control unit 410 in the present embodiment is a third control unit that controls the operation of the distribution management apparatus. The control unit 410 is a processor that executes, for example, a program describing the operation of the server 400, and is communicably connected to the storage unit 430 and the communication unit 450, and transmits and receives signals to and from these components. The signal is a signal for controlling the operation of these components or a signal for transmitting data. Note that the control unit 410 may acquire the current time as necessary. For example, the server 400 may include a real time clock (not shown), and the control unit 410 may obtain the current time from the real time clock.

  Storage unit 430 in the present embodiment is a third storage unit included in the distribution management device. The storage unit 430 is a storage medium for storing data temporarily or non-temporarily, for example, and data is written or read by the control unit 410. The data to be written is, for example, data acquired via the communication unit 350 described later. The read data is a program necessary for the operation of the server 400, for example. Specific examples of the storage medium include flash memory, RAM (Random Access Memory), and hard disk. A ROM (Read-Only Memory) may be used as a storage medium dedicated to data to be read. A plurality of types of storage media may be used as the storage unit 430.

  The communication unit 450 in the present embodiment is the three communication units provided in the distribution management device. The communication unit 450 is an interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from the mobile unit 200 and the home appliance 300 via the Internet, and examples include communication modules according to various communication standards.

  Note that the storage unit 430 is not provided in the server 400 but may be an external device that is used by being connected to a connection interface (not shown) provided in the server 400. The server 400 may further include a user interface (not shown) such as a display, a keyboard, and a mouse used for setting, operation, maintenance, and the like temporarily or non-temporarily.

  Such a server 400 in the present embodiment is an example of a distribution management device.

[2. Operation of distribution system 100]
Next, the operation of the distribution system 100 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS.

[2-1. Overview of operation]
With reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, an outline of the operation of the distribution system 100 in the present embodiment will be described using an example.

  The operation of the distribution system 100 in the present embodiment can be broadly divided into pairing of the mobile unit 200 and the home unit 300 and distribution of content from the home unit 300 to the mobile unit 200. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an outline of the pairing operation of the distribution system 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an outline of content distribution operation of the distribution system 100 according to the embodiment.

  In this description, as an example, the mobile unit 200 is a car including a car navigation system having a function capable of displaying a TV program, and the home device 300 stores data of content that is a TV program received via the tuner 320. This is a video recorder that can be stored in the unit 330. The conventional home pairing method cannot pair the private vehicle with the video recorder. Therefore, content distribution from this video recorder to a private car cannot be performed.

  Hereinafter, first, an outline of the pairing procedure in the operation of the distribution system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, each procedure is shown with reference numerals beginning with D attached to the data to be moved. In addition, the arrows in the figure indicate the movement direction of each data.

  The pairing procedure starts according to a user instruction input to the mobile unit 200. In response to the user's instruction, the mobile unit 200 receives information indicating the geographical position of the current position output from the GPS receiver 220, and a key ID (key information) for communication encryption stored in the storage unit 230. Is transmitted to the server 400 (D10).

  The server 400 stores the received information indicating the geographical position and the key ID in the storage unit 430. Then, the server 400 transmits a password code to the moving body 200 (D11). In addition, the server 400 stores the password code in the storage unit 430 in association with the previously stored information indicating the geographical position of the moving body 200 and the key ID.

  On the other hand, in the mobile body 200, the received personal identification code is output by the user interface 240 so that the user can use it. For example, it is displayed on the display of a car navigation system.

  The user takes notes of the code and returns it to the user's home (D12), and inputs it to the home device 300 via the user interface 340.

  The indoor unit 300 transmits the input code and the location information stored as a setting in the storage unit 330, for example, the zip code input for channel setting, to the server 400 (D13).

  The server 400 moves when the PIN code received from the indoor unit 300 matches the PIN code transmitted to the mobile unit 200, and the location information received from the home unit 300 corresponds to the location information received from the mobile unit 200. The key ID received from the body 200 and stored in the storage unit 430 is transmitted to the indoor unit 300 (D14). In addition, the server 400 stores information indicating the geographical position of the in-home device 300 in the storage unit 430 in association with the information already stored. On the other hand, the home device 300 stores the received key ID in the storage unit 330 in the device. Pairing is completed by the procedure so far.

  Next, an outline of the procedure of content distribution operation among the operations of the distribution system 100 in the present embodiment will be described. In FIG. 3 as well, each procedure is shown with reference numerals beginning with D attached to the data to be moved. In addition, the arrows in the figure indicate the movement direction of each data.

  The content distribution procedure starts in accordance with a user instruction input to the mobile unit 200. Upon receiving the user instruction, the mobile unit 200 transmits a content list request to the server 400 (D20).

  Upon receiving this request, the server 400 transmits a request for information indicating the content list and the location of the home device 300 to the home device 300 (D21).

  Upon receipt of these requests, the indoor unit 300 transmits a content list and position information to the server 400 (D22).

  The server 400 determines whether the position information received this time matches the information indicating the position of the indoor unit 300 received in the pairing procedure and stored in the storage unit 430. If they match, the content list is transmitted to the mobile unit 200 after preventing the entry satisfying the predetermined condition from being used on the mobile unit 200 (D23). This predetermined condition will be described later.

  In the mobile body 200, the received content list is presented to the user on the user interface 240. When the user performs an operation of selecting a desired content from the content list, the content is delivered from the indoor unit 300 to the mobile unit 200 in accordance with the instruction content by this operation (D24). This distribution is performed by communication encrypted using the key ID received by the home device 300 at the end of the pairing procedure.

  Hereinafter, the respective procedures of the pairing and content distribution by the distribution system 100 will be described in detail along specific examples.

[2-2. Pairing procedure]
First, the pairing procedure will be described using a specific example. Note that the basic settings of the specific example of the pairing procedure and the specific example of the next content distribution procedure are the same as the above outline. That is, the target of pairing is the mobile body 200 that is located some distance away from the user's home 700 and the indoor unit 300 that is in the user's home 700 and can distribute content. The mobile body 200 is an automobile including a car navigation system having a function capable of displaying a television program, for example. The home device 300 is a video recorder that can store content data that is a television program received via, for example, a tuner. The pairing method further includes a server 400. The “location away from the user's home 700 to some extent” is, for example, a location outside the wireless LAN in the user's home, although it is within the user's daily life. As a more specific example, the mobile body 200 is a user's private car, and “a place far away from the user's house 700” is a few minutes on foot from the home or a basement of an apartment house where the house is located. There is a parking lot.

  FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing a pairing procedure executed in distribution system 100 in the present embodiment.

  Pairing is started when a user inputs an instruction to start pairing to the moving body 200 (S001). For example, a user parks a private car in a parking lot at a location away from home, and before getting off, selects an item related to preparation for pairing from a menu displayed on a touch panel of a car navigation system provided in the car. FIG. 5A shows an example of a display on the user interface 240 for the user to input an instruction to start pairing. When OK is selected on this display, an instruction to start pairing is input to the moving body 200.

  The mobile body 200 to which this instruction is input transmits information indicating the current geographical position of the mobile body 200 (hereinafter also referred to as first device position information) and a key ID for communication encryption to the server 400. (S201). Hereinafter, information used for pairing between the mobile unit 200 and the indoor unit 300, which is transmitted from the mobile unit 200 to the server 400, like the first device position information or the key ID is also referred to as first device information. In the procedure of the present embodiment, the reception by the server 400 of the first device information transmitted from the moving body 200 in step S201 is an example of a first device information acquisition step.

  The server 400 that has received the first device information obtains a personal identification code, and transmits the personal identification code to the mobile unit 200 via the communication unit 450 (S401). Hereinafter, information transmitted from the server 400 to the mobile unit 200 upon reception of the first device information, such as the password, is also referred to as first information.

  The server 400 associates the first device information received from the mobile body 200, the first information transmitted to the mobile body 200, and a predetermined time (hereinafter also referred to as a first time) acquired by the control unit 410. Then, it is added to the pairing management information and stored in the storage unit 430 (S402).

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of pairing management information 800 which is an example of this pairing management information. The pairing management information 800 is data including one or more records of information related to pairing. In the example shown in FIG. 6, pairing is managed as one record in each row for each case. The first line is a heading line.

  Each item of the pairing management information 800 will be described.

  The pairing ID is a management ID uniquely assigned to each pairing item managed by the server 400. The server 400 identifies each managed pairing based on the pairing ID.

  The content of the first device information is under the heading of the key ID and the first device position information, and the content of the first information is under the heading of the password.

  The first time is an example of the first time information in the present embodiment, and is the time related to the first device information or the first information. As a specific example of the first time, the time when an instruction to transmit the first device information (the user executes as an instruction to start pairing) is input to the mobile body 200, or the mobile body 200 is in the first device position. This is the time when the information was acquired. In these cases, the server 400 acquires the first time from the moving body 200. Alternatively, the first time may be a time when the server 400 generates a password code or a time when the server 400 transmits the code. In these cases, the server 400 acquires the first time from, for example, a real-time clock provided in the own device.

  Other parts of the pairing management information 800 will be described below as appropriate.

  Next, the mobile unit 200 outputs the received personal identification code in a form usable by the user (S202). For example, the code is displayed on the display of the car navigation system so that the user can record it as a memo or an image. FIG. 5B shows a display example on the user interface 240 in step S202. As another example of this output, the data may be output as a data file from a connection interface provided in the mobile unit 200 to a portable storage medium such as a memory card or a mobile phone.

  The user obtains the output code and returns to the home with the code.

  The user who has returned home enters this password into the home device 300 (S002). FIG. 7A shows an example of a display that is displayed on the user interface 340 (for example, the screen of the television receiver) by the home device 300 and that allows the user to input a personal identification code into the home device 300. Thus, the personal identification code acquired by the indoor unit 300 by the user's input is an example of the second information in the present embodiment.

  The indoor unit 300 to which the personal identification code is input transmits the personal identification code and information indicating the geographical location where the indoor unit 300 is installed (hereinafter also referred to as second device positional information) to the server 400 (S301). ). Hereinafter, information used for pairing of the mobile unit 200 and the indoor unit 300, which is transmitted from the indoor unit 300 to the server 400, such as the password or the second device position information, is also referred to as second device information. The second device position information is, for example, a zip code input by the user for setting a channel according to the location of the user's home when the home device 300 is installed in the user's home. If usable information is not stored in the storage unit 330, the indoor unit 300 may prompt the user for input before executing step S301. In the procedure of the present embodiment, the reception by the server 400 of the second device information transmitted from the indoor unit 300 in step S301 is an example of a second device information acquisition step.

  The server 400 that has acquired the second device information further acquires a second time that is a predetermined time related to the second device information (S403). The second time is an example of second time information in the present embodiment. A specific example of the second time is the time when an instruction to transmit the second device information (the user executes as an instruction to transmit the personal identification code) is input to the indoor unit 300. In this case, the server 400 acquires the second time from the indoor unit 300. Alternatively, the second time may be a time when the server 400 receives the second device information. In this case, the server 400 acquires the second time from, for example, a real time clock included in the server 400.

  Next, the server 400 determines whether or not the second device information satisfies a predetermined condition. In this confirmation, the above-described pairing management information 800 is referred to.

  First, the server 400 collates the personal identification code included in the received second device information with the personal identification code (first information) in each record included in the pairing management information 800 (S404, verification step). When the collation result indicates that there is no personal identification code in the pairing management information 800 that matches the personal identification code included in the second device information (NO in S404), a notification to that effect is sent from the server 400 to the indoor unit 300. Sent to. FIG. 7B is a display example when the indoor unit 300 displays the content of the received notification on the user interface 340.

  When the collation result indicates that a password that matches the password included in the second device information is included in the pairing management information 800 (S404, YES), the password matches the password included in the second device information. It is determined whether or not the time difference between the first time associated with the password and the second time acquired in step S403 is within a predetermined length (S405). This determination in step S405 is an example of determination regarding whether or not the first time information and the second time information correspond to each other in the present embodiment. When it is determined that the time difference exceeds the predetermined length (S405, NO), a notification indicating that is transmitted from the server 400 to the indoor unit 300. FIG. 7C is a display example when the home device 300 displays the content of the received notification on the user interface 340. This predetermined length will be described later.

  When it is determined that the time difference is within the predetermined length (S405, YES), the first device position information included in the first device information associated with the matched password and the second device information included in the second device information. It is determined whether the device position information corresponds (S406, position information correspondence determination step). “The first device position information corresponds to the second device position information” means that the geographical position indicated by the first device position information and the geographical position indicated by the second device position information are within a predetermined geographical range. It means that there is. In the present embodiment, the point indicated by the first device position information as the geographical position (in this example, the point indicated by latitude and longitude) is the area indicated by the second device position information as the geographical position (in this example, mail). The state included in the area indicated by the number is an example of this correspondence. This determination is, for example, data indicating the correspondence between the area indicated by each zip code and the area indicated by the latitude / longitude or the area including the point indicated by the latitude / longitude (for example, a municipality), which is further stored in the storage unit 430 of the server 400. It is done with reference to. When it is determined that the first device position information and the second device position information do not correspond (S406, NO), a notification indicating that is transmitted from the server 400 to the indoor unit 300. FIG. 7D is a display example when the indoor unit 300 displays the content of the received notification on the user interface 340.

  When it is determined that the first device position information and the second device position information correspond to each other (S406, YES), the key ID included in the first device information is transmitted from the server 400 to the indoor unit 300 (S407, distributable) Step). This completes the pairing and completes a series of pairing procedures. As described above, information transmitted from the server 400 to the indoor unit 300 in order to establish pairing is also referred to as third information. The key ID of the first device information in the present embodiment is an example of third information, and the third information is not limited to this. For example, it may be information related to the key ID of the first device information. The indoor unit 300 that has received this key ID is ready to perform encrypted communication for distributing content to the mobile unit 200. In the procedure of the present embodiment, steps S404 to S407 by the server 400 are examples of the pairing step.

  In addition, the time difference of the predetermined length in the description of step S405 is, in other words, the expiration date of the password. By providing an expiration date for the personal identification code, the load on the server 400 due to holding the personal identification code that is not input to the in-home device 300 indefinitely for the convenience of the user is reduced. Further, from the viewpoint of preventing unauthorized use of content, it is desirable that a certain degree of restriction be provided for extending the limit distance that can be paired for communication. This limitation is substantially realized by the determination regarding the geographical position executed in step S406. In other words, this time limit psychologically restricts one user from trying to move a long distance from the acquisition of the password to the input. Therefore, for the length of the time limit, for example, if the mobile body 200 is a private vehicle, it is sufficient for the movement of the private vehicle from the parking lot to the home and the subsequent input of the password, which is more than necessary. Those that are not long are desirable. In the example of this embodiment, the time limit is set to 1 hour on the assumption that the moving body 200 is a private vehicle (see FIG. 5B). However, this “one hour” is merely an example, and may be shorter or longer than one hour. Moreover, the setting regarding the length of the time limit may be changeable.

  Further, when pairing is established by the above-described procedure and the server 400 manages subsequent content distribution, information used for this management is further stored in the storage unit 430 as a part of the pairing management information 800. (S408). As information used for management of content distribution, for example, second device position information (zip code) or a pairing expiration date is used. In FIG. 6, as an example of a record relating to established pairing, a record with a pairing ID of PA00001 and a record with PA00002 are shown. The second device position information and the pairing expiration date are added to these two records. Management of content distribution using the information by the server 400 will be described later using a specific example.

  When pairing is established, a notification to that effect may be transmitted from the server 400 to one or both of the mobile unit 200 and the home appliance 300. Alternatively, the server 400 may transmit information such as the expiration date of the above pairing and the pairing ID shown in FIG. 6 to one or both of the mobile unit 200 and the indoor unit 300. And these notifications or information may be memorize | stored in each memory | storage part of the mobile body 200 or the indoor unit 300, and may be displayed on a user interface.

[2-3. effect]
According to the pairing method according to the procedure of the present embodiment, the user acquires the personal identification code transmitted from the server 400 to the mobile body 200 outside the user's home from the mobile body 200. The server 400 confirms that the password has been input to the home device 300 at the user's home, so that the mobile unit 200 and the home device 300 can be associated with each other as being under the same user's management. Further, the position of the mobile unit 200 is acquired from the mobile unit 200 as information output from the GPS receiver 220, and the location information of the home unit 300 held in the storage unit 330 from the home unit 300 (in the present embodiment, mail). Number) is acquired, and it can be determined whether or not the mobile unit 200 and the indoor unit 300 are geographically within a predetermined range. Based on this association and the determination result, even if the mobile unit 200 and the indoor unit 300 are physically further away from the user's home, one of the conditions is that they are geographically within a predetermined range. , Pairing for enabling content distribution from the second device to the first device can be performed. In other words, content distribution is limited when this condition is satisfied and pairing is established.

[2-4. [Procedure for content distribution]
Next, a procedure for distributing contents between the indoor unit 300 and the mobile unit 200 paired by the above-described pairing procedure will be described using a specific example. That is, before the start of this procedure, the indoor unit 300 acquires the key ID for communication encryption possessed by the mobile unit 200 via the server 400.

  For this pairing, it is assumed that pairing management information 800 as exemplified in FIG. 6 is used. Referring to FIG. 6, 23:59:59 three months after the date of pairing is set as the expiration date for this pairing. The meaning of this expiration date will be described later. On the other hand, it is assumed that the mobile unit 200 has received the above pairing ID from the server 400 and stored it in the storage unit 230.

  It is assumed that the mobile body 200 is at an arbitrary position that can be connected to the Internet at the start of this method. That is, the mobile body 200 may not be located geographically close to the user's home as when pairing is executed.

  FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram illustrating a procedure for restricted content distribution executed by the distribution system 100 according to the embodiment.

  First, an instruction to start content distribution is input to the moving body 200 by the user (S011).

  The mobile body 200 to which this instruction is input transmits a pairing ID, a content list transmission request, and a connection request to the home device 300 to the server 400 (S211).

  The server 400 collates the received pairing ID with the pairing ID in each record of the pairing management information 800 (S411). As a result of the collation, when there is no pairing ID that matches the received pairing ID in the pairing management information 800 (S411, NO), a notification to that effect is transmitted from the server 400 to the mobile unit 200. FIG. 9A is a display example when the mobile unit 200 displays the content of the received notification on the user interface 240. At this time, as shown in the screen example of FIG. 9A, the user may be prompted to perform pairing again (E in FIG. 8 to E in FIG. 4).

  As a result of the collation, when there is a pairing ID that matches the received pairing ID in the pairing management information 800 (S411, YES), the server 400 acquires the expiration date of the pairing specified by this pairing ID, It is determined whether or not the current time is before the acquired expiration date (S412). When it is determined that the current time has passed this expiration date (S412: NO), a notification indicating that is sent from the server 400 to the mobile unit 200. In this case as well, the screen shown in FIG. 9A may be displayed on the user interface 240.

  When it is determined that the current time is before the expiration date (S412: YES), the server 400 sends a content list transmission request, a connection request notification from the mobile unit 200, and the second device position information at this time. Is transmitted to the in-home device 300. (S413).

  Upon receipt of these requests and notifications, the indoor unit 300 transmits the content list 900 and the second device position information to the server 400 (S311). FIG. 10A is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the content list 900. In this example, information corresponding to each item of ID, title, recording date, reproduction time, and broadcast area is held for each content held in the home device 300 except for a part. The items in the content list 900 are not limited to this example. However, in this specific example, the information for identifying each content (in this example, the content ID) and the information indicating the broadcast area of each content are used in the following procedure. Therefore, the content ID and the broadcast area are necessary items. is there. In the procedure of the present embodiment, the reception by the server 400 of the second device position information transmitted from the indoor unit 300 in step S311 is an example of a second device position information reacquisition step.

  The server 400 that has received the content list 900 and the second device location information refers to the pairing management information 800, and in the record that includes the received second device location information and the pairing ID of the target in the pairing management information 800. The second device position information is collated (S414, position information match determination step). That is, the server 400 is set in the home device 300 at the present time and the second device position information at the time of transmitting the key ID for communication encryption with the mobile unit 200 to the home device 300 (FIG. 2, step D14). It is confirmed whether or not the information indicating the position of the second device is the same. If they are not the same (S414, NO), the server 400 invalidates the pairing between the mobile unit 200 and the indoor unit 300. Any method may be used to invalidate the pairing. For example, an instruction to delete the previously transmitted key ID for communication encryption may be transmitted from the server 400 to the indoor unit 300. Alternatively, the content list 900 may not be used on the mobile body 200, such as not transmitting the content list 900 to the mobile body 200. Further, notification that the pairing is invalidated or that the pairing procedure is necessary again may be transmitted to the mobile unit 200. In the procedure of the present embodiment, the server 400 determines that the server 400 is NO in step S414, and invalidates the pairing between the mobile unit 200 and the indoor unit 300. It is an example.

  As a result of the collation, if the received second device position information matches the second device position information in the record including the target pairing ID in the pairing management information 800 (S414, YES), the server 400 then The content list 900 is edited based on the geographical position indicated by the second device position information and the broadcast area of each content included in the received content list 900 (S415). Note that the second device position information referred to in step S415 may be either the received second device position information or the second device position information recorded in the pairing management information 800.

  A more detailed example of the procedure in step S415 is shown in FIG.

  In step S415, the following processing procedure is executed for each row of the content list 900 (S4151). First, it is determined whether or not there is information on the content broadcast area in the target row (S4152). When there is no broadcast area information (NO in S4152), it is assumed that there is no restriction on the broadcast area, the use of the content in the target row is permitted, and a flag indicating that the content is usable in the target row is set (S4155, Delivery permission step). When there is broadcast area information (S4152, YES), it is determined whether the broadcast area information includes the geographical position indicated by the second device position information (S4153, broadcast area determination step). When the information on the broadcast area includes the geographical position indicated by the second device position information (S4153, YES), the use of the content in the target row is permitted and a flag indicating that the content is usable in the target row is set. (S4155, distribution permission step). When the broadcast area information does not include the geographical position indicated by the second device position information (S4153, NO), the content of the target line is not permitted, and the content is not usable in the target line. A flag is set (S4154).

  Step S415 will be described using the example of FIG. 6 where the determination of S416 is performed using the second device position information in the record with the pairing ID “PA00001” and the content list 900 of FIG. 10A as an example.

  It is assumed that the second device position information “5700005” in the record with the pairing ID “PA00001” indicates, for example, a certain area in Osaka Prefecture. In this case, since the content specified by the content ID “CT0001” does not include the area indicated by “5700005” as the broadcast area “Kyushu”, a flag indicating that the content cannot be used is set. . The same result is obtained for the broadcast area “Fukuoka Prefecture” of the content specified by the content ID “CT0002”. Since the content specified by the content ID “CT0003” and the content specified by “CT0004” both include the area indicated by “5700005”, a flag indicating that each content is usable is set. It is done. Further, the content specified by the content ID “CT0005” has no information indicating the broadcast area. Since this is a moving image content personally photographed by the user, there is no broadcast area setting. Such content may be included in a target to be notified to the mobile body 200. FIG. 10B shows an example of the content list 900 edited in this way. In this example, an availability flag column is added. In this column, “1” is input as a flag indicating that the content is usable, and “0” is input as a flag indicating that the content is not usable. When the editing in the procedure of step S415 is completed for all the contents in the content list 900, the edited content list 900 is transmitted to the mobile unit 200 (S416). FIG. 9B is a display example when the mobile object 200 receives the content list 900 shown in FIG. 10B and displays it on the user interface 240 based on the content list 900. In this example, an unusable content flag is set on the content list data and is displayed in white characters indicating that the content cannot be selected.

  When the user selects content that the user desires to view via the user interface 240 of the mobile unit 200 (S012), a delivery request for the selected content is transmitted to the indoor unit 300 via the server 400 or not (S212). ). In the example of FIG. 8, the distribution request for the selected content is once delivered to the server 400, and the server 400 transmits this request to the indoor unit 300 (S417). Upon receipt of this request, the indoor unit 300 delivers the content data indicated in the received request to the mobile unit 200 by communication encrypted using the already received key ID (S312). The mobile unit 200 plays back the received content data on the user interface 240.

[2-5. effect]
In the distribution method described above, three conditions are determined before content distribution is started between the mobile unit 200 and the indoor unit 300 that have been paired. The first condition is that the content list transmission request from the mobile unit 200 to the server 400, which is determined in step S412, is before the expiration date of pairing. The second condition is whether or not the second device position information used in the pairing procedure and the second device position information at the time of content distribution request determined in step S414 are the same. The third condition is that the geographical location indicated by the second device location information, which is determined in the editing of the content list 900 in step S415, is included in the broadcast area of each content that is a broadcast program. By determining these conditions, content is not used in an unauthorized manner such that the content is not privately used in the home, between devices once paired by the pairing method in the present embodiment. You can limit content distribution.

  First, by setting an expiration date and determining the first condition, it is possible to limit the use of content in a long-distance remote place from the home device 300 as a distribution source by a long-term traveler or a single person can do. In this embodiment, as an example of this long period, it is restricted that content distribution cannot be received in a remote place for more than three months.

  Further, by determining the second condition, it is possible to invalidate the illegally established pairing. An illegally established pairing is, for example, that the user sets the location of the indoor unit between the indoor unit and the mobile unit that are separated beyond the geographical distance that is the condition for the above pairing to be established. The pairing was established by temporarily changing to indicate an area including the position of. In this case, if the location information of the indoor unit is changed to match the actual location for receiving a television broadcast, the pairing is invalidated and content distribution from the indoor unit to the mobile unit becomes impossible. Become.

  In addition, by determining the third condition, the content distribution from the home device moved after the pairing is established is limited to the content acquired by the home device after the movement. Use can be prevented. In other words, after moving, if you do not change the location setting of the home unit, you will not be able to receive the TV broadcast after moving, and if you change the location setting of the home unit after moving, you will move content that should not have been seen in the moved area Cannot watch remotely from the body. That is, the content to be distributed is limited to content that can be determined to have been acquired in a situation where the pairing establishment condition is satisfied without using any unauthorized means.

  As described above, the position information input for setting the position of the indoor unit is used in the pairing and determination on the second and third conditions. However, there are cases where tuning for receiving TV broadcasts can be performed manually instead of setting the position depending on the indoor unit. In the case of such an in-home device, it is configured so that the pairing method according to the present embodiment cannot be performed unless position information is input to the in-home device. You may make it impossible to watch.

  As described above, in the distribution system according to the present embodiment, while expanding the scene of remote use of content more than possible with the conventional method, it is technically prevented from being used in a manner that is not recognized as private use. This is a limitation. As described above, by adding technically determined judgments to the technical procedures necessary for content distribution, even content that is a broadcast program is performed in a manner that does not violate public order and morals. Can be delivered.

(Modification)
The present invention is not limited to the method described as an embodiment, and may be carried out in the following modes.

[About combinations of devices to be paired]
In the above embodiment, one of the devices to be paired is described as a mobile body and the other device is installed in a building (home device), but the pairing target is limited to this combination. Not. Devices that are used by being deferred by the method of the embodiment, or devices that are movable may be paired.

  Moreover, the role of the mobile body 200 and the role of the indoor unit 300 in the above embodiment may be interchanged. That is, first, the indoor unit 300 may receive a password from the server 400, and the password entered by the user into the mobile unit 200 may be transmitted to the server 400 to perform pairing.

[Information exchanged between devices]
In the above embodiment, the content distributed from the in-home device 300 is mainly described on the assumption that the content is a recorded television broadcast program, but the content is not limited to this. The content may be data acquired by the home device 300, and may be, for example, a broadcast program currently received by the home device 300 and not recorded in the storage unit 330. For example, it may be possible to watch a broadcast program such as satellite broadcast that can be received at home but cannot be received by a car in real time. As for only the pairing, the present invention is not limited to a television broadcast program, and may be implemented, for example, for distributing music data stored in a server in a user's house to a private car.

  In the above embodiment, the personal identification code is first transmitted to and displayed on the mobile unit 200 and input to the indoor unit 300 by the user. However, the roles of the mobile unit 200 and the indoor unit 300 may be switched. . That is, first, the user prepares for the start of pairing with the user's home device 300. Then, pairing may be executed in the order that the personal identification code is transmitted to the home device 300 and the user inputs it to the mobile unit 200.

  In the pairing and content distribution procedures, information exchanged between the mobile unit 200, the indoor unit 300, and the server 400 is not limited to the above information. For example, the server 400 may include information (hereinafter, also referred to as a device ID) that can identify an individual of the mobile object 200 or the indoor device 300. Or information and a password which can specify a user may be included.

  The information managed by the server 400 is not limited to the above information. For example, the server 400 may manage the number of pairings that have been established at the same time as each home appliance. Thereby, for example, it is possible to prevent the use of content exceeding the category of private use such that a large number of users receive content distribution from a single in-home device 300.

  In the description of the pairing procedure and the drawings described above, a numeric string is used as the password, but the mode of the password is not limited to this. It may be a code based on another character type or a code based on a plurality of character types. Alternatively, it may be a random number sequence, a two-dimensional barcode, or an image showing some subject. In the case of such an image, for example, the user may take a picture with a portable device with a camera and input information obtained based on this image when inputting the image to the indoor unit 300. When being carried in a portable storage medium or the like, the information may not be recognized by human perception such as characters. Also, the method for acquiring the personal identification code by the server 400 is not particularly limited, and may be generated based on information received from the mobile body 200 such as position information and device ID of the mobile body 200, for example. Alternatively, it may be acquired as a pseudo-random number generated every time the pairing procedure is executed. From the viewpoint of suitability, it is possible to identify a large number of pairings managed by the server 400 using the pairing management information 800 without confusion and to avoid coincidences due to chances. May be realized in any manner as long as it can be acquired from the mobile unit 200 and input to the indoor unit 300 without excessive burden.

  The first device position information is not limited to information acquired and output by the GPS receiver described in the above embodiment. As another example of information that can be used as position information of the moving body 200, information obtained by using a positioning system including a satellite of a system other than GPS may be used. Information obtained through communication can be mentioned. Further, information output by the means for acquiring position information further included in the moving body 200 may be used together. Examples of means for acquiring the position information include an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor. On the other hand, the second device position information is not limited to the zip code described in the above embodiment. Other examples of information that can be used as the location information of the indoor unit 300 include an area code such as an address or a telephone number. In addition, when the indoor unit 300 includes a receiver of a positioning system using a satellite such as GPS, information on a point output by the receiver may be transmitted. In addition, position information acquired by positioning using position information grasped when accessing a wireless LAN device or the like may be used for both the first apparatus position information and the second apparatus position information. A plurality of these pieces of information may be used.

  Further, the acquired position information may be appropriately processed or read and used depending on the strictness of the tolerance standard for the distance between the moving body 200 and the indoor unit 300. For example, when a 7-digit zip code is acquired as position information, only the 5 digits from the top may be used, or the bottom 2 digits may be replaced. For example, if the last two digits of zip code indicating 5700005 in Yakumonakacho, Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture are replaced with 00, the number indicates the entire Moriguchi City in Osaka Prefecture. By using this as the second device position information, pairing with the moving body 200 in a wider range than using the acquired zip code is allowed.

[About each judgment]
The first time and the second time used for the determination in step S405 are not limited to the examples given in the embodiment. As another example, the first time may be a time when the mobile unit 200 presents the code to the user, or may be designated when the user acquires the code. In this case, the server 400 acquires the first time from the moving body 200. In addition, the second time may be a time when the password is input to the home device 300. In this case, the server 400 acquires the second time from the indoor unit 300. That is, the first time may be any time from the pairing start instruction from the user to the procedure through the user interface 240 related to the presentation of the personal identification code to the user. The second time may be any time in each procedure from the input of the personal identification code through the user interface 340 to the completion of collation in the server 400.

  Note that the determination in step S405 may be omitted. Even if this determination is omitted, as described above, the limitation of the limit distance that can be paired is substantially realized by the determination regarding the geographical position executed in step S406.

  In the determination in step S406, “the first device position information and the second device position information correspond” is not limited to the above meaning. The content of this “correspondence” varies depending on the content of each position information. For example, when the indoor unit 300 also includes a GPS receiver, the second device position information may indicate a point output by the GPS receiver. As described above, when both the first device position information and the second device position information indicate a point, it is determined that the distance corresponds between the two points within a predetermined range. Alternatively, it may be determined that both points are in a predetermined area (for example, the same city). In addition, the content of “correspondence” also varies depending on the strictness of the tolerance standard for the distance between the moving body 200 and the indoor unit 300. For example, the first device position information and the second device position information correspond to each other when the point indicated by the first device position information is located in the area indicated by the zip code as the second device position information or in the vicinity of the area. You may judge. In addition, regarding the strictness of the tolerance standard for the distance between the mobile unit 200 and the indoor unit 300, it may be considered that the accuracy of the position information output by the GPS receiver varies depending on the time zone, season, and the like.

  Further, in the description of the determination in step S412, the operation of prompting the user to execute pairing again when the current time is determined to have passed this expiration date is executed. The operation is not limited to this. For example, if the time from the current time to the expiration date is shorter than a predetermined period (for example, one week), execution of pairing may be prompted (corresponding to NO in S416). In other words, in this case, the pairing update may be prompted.

  Alternatively, the pairing update is not performed based on such a determination, but may be executed every time the server 400 can confirm that the mobile unit 200 and the indoor unit 300 are within the range that satisfies the pairing establishment condition. Good. For example, the first device position information is added to the information transmitted from the mobile unit 200 to the indoor unit 300 in step S211. Thereby, the server 400 can determine the correspondence with the second device position information (corresponding to step S406) every time there is a content list request from the mobile body 200. As a result, for example, if the content list is acquired even near the home even before the expiration date, the pairing is automatically updated, and the user's attention and effort for updating are saved. Alternatively, the first device position information may be automatically transmitted to the server 400 periodically at a period shorter than the expiration date of pairing or every time the mobile body 200 is activated. This also automatically updates the pairing and saves the user's attention and effort for updating.

  Further, the information used for managing the valid period of pairing is not limited to the information indicating the end (effective period) of the valid period as in the example shown in FIG. Using the first time, the second time, or any other time (for example, the time when the key ID is transmitted to the second device) as information indicating the start of the valid period, this information and the current time when executing the determination in step S412 The effectiveness of pairing may be determined from the difference between.

  Also, the broadcast area information included in the content list 900 that is transmitted from the in-home device 300 to the server 400 and used for the determination in step S415 is not limited to the area name used in the embodiment. Any information that can identify the broadcast area of each content may be used. For example, the information may be information indicating a broadcast station that has broadcast.

  In the distribution permission step (S4155), the content list 900 is edited with a flag set to indicate whether the content can be used (S415). However, the method of indicating whether the content can be used is not limited to this. . The content that is not permitted to be distributed may be in any form as long as the user is inaccessible from the mobile unit 200. For example, a data row of content that cannot be used may be deleted from the content list 900. Alternatively, instead of editing the content (S415), the content list 900 received from the home device 300 is transferred to the mobile unit 200 as it is, and the server 400 or the home device 300 uses the content selected in response to the content selection instruction. Whether it is possible or not may be determined using the same criteria as described above. In this case, for content that is not permitted to be distributed, for example, notification that the content cannot be used may be transmitted to the mobile unit 200 instead of content data.

[Content distribution]
The content list 900 may not be mediated by the server 400 as in the above-described embodiment, but may be directly transmitted from the indoor unit 300 to the mobile unit 200. In this case, the in-home device 300 may execute the determination regarding the availability of each content. Alternatively, the moving body 200 may acquire the second device position information from the indoor device 300 or the server 400, and the moving body 200 may execute based on the acquired second device position information. In addition, the selected content distribution request (S212) may also be transmitted directly from the in-home device 300 to the mobile unit 200 without being mediated by the server 400.

  Further, the present disclosure may be used in a system that supports DTCP-IP + (Digital Transmission Content Protection-Internet Protocol Plus). In the case of this system, the communication encryption key ID received by the indoor unit 300 from the mobile unit 200 is a DTCP key ID. The indoor unit 300 acquires a public key using this DTCP key ID, and encrypts communication.

  In the description of the embodiment, the key ID in the public key encryption method is described as key information for communication encryption. However, the communication encryption method in the present disclosure uses this method. Not limited.

  As described above, the embodiments have been described as examples of the technology in the present disclosure. For this purpose, the accompanying drawings and detailed description are provided.

[Others]
The components described in the attached drawings and detailed description include not only components essential for solving the problem but also components not essential for solving the problem in order to exemplify the above technique. Can be. Therefore, it should not be immediately recognized that these non-essential components are essential as those non-essential components are described in the accompanying drawings and detailed description.

  Moreover, since the above-mentioned embodiment is for demonstrating the technique in this indication, a various change, replacement, addition, abbreviation, etc. can be performed in a claim or its equivalent range.

  The present disclosure can be applied to a content distribution system between a plurality of devices. Specifically, for example, a system that distributes content from a video recorder at the home of a user of the vehicle to a vehicle as a moving body, and a server that manages pairing and distribution for the distribution Further, the present disclosure is applicable to a system including the same.

100 distribution system 200 mobile unit 300 indoor unit 400 server 210, 310, 410 control unit 220 GPS receiver 320 tuner 230, 330, 430 storage unit 240, 340 user interface 250, 350, 450 communication unit 500 base station 600 Internet 700 user Home 800 Pairing management information 900 Contents list

Claims (9)

A first device;
A second device that holds or relays content;
A distribution management device that manages distribution of the content from the second device to the first device via a communication path between the first device and the second device that are paired for communication; A distribution system for pairing, comprising:
The first device is:
A first communication unit for transmitting and receiving data to and from the distribution management device;
A first storage unit;
A position detector for outputting first device position information indicating a geographical position of the first device;
A first control unit connected to be communicable with the first communication unit, the first storage unit, and the position detector;
The second device is
A second communication unit for transmitting and receiving data to and from the distribution management device;
A second storage unit storing second device position information indicating a geographical position of the second device;
An input unit that accepts data input;
A second control unit connected to be communicable with the second communication unit, the second storage unit, and the input unit;
The distribution management device includes:
A third communication unit for transmitting and receiving data to and from the first device and the second device;
A third storage unit;
A third control unit communicably connected to the three communication units and the third storage unit,
The first control unit of the first device is
Obtaining the first device position information from the position detector;
The acquired first device location information is included in the first device information used for pairing and transmitted to the distribution management device,
The third control unit of the distribution management device
When receiving the first device information,
Transmitting the first information used for the pairing to the first device, and storing the first information in association with the first device information in the third storage unit;
The second control unit of the second device is
Transmitting the second device information used for the pairing to the distribution management device, including the second information acquired by being input to the input unit and the second device position information of the second device;
The third control unit of the distribution management device
Collating the first information stored in the third storage unit with the second information included in the received second device information;
When the collation result indicates that the first information matches the second information, the first device position information included in the first device information stored in the third storage unit in association with the first information And whether or not the received second device information includes the second device position information,
When it is determined that the first device position information corresponds to the second device position information, the pairing is executed by setting the second device in a state where the distribution is possible.
Distribution system. The third control unit of the distribution management device further includes:
First time information which is time information related to the first device information or the first information;
Obtaining second time information that is time information related to the second device information;
Determining whether the first time information corresponds to the second time information;
When it is determined that the first time information and the second time information correspond to each other, the pairing is executed by setting the second device in a state where the distribution is possible.
The distribution system according to claim 1. The first device information further includes key information,
The third control unit provides the key information to the second device via a third communication unit to make the second device ready for the distribution;
The distribution system according to claim 1 or 2. The second device position information is a zip code,
The third control unit corresponds to the first device position information and the second device position information when the point indicated by the first device position information is included in a geographical position indicated by the second device position information. To determine,
The distribution system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The third control unit further includes
After performing the pairing,
Reacquire second device position information from the second device,
Determining whether the second device position information included in the second device information matches the second device position information acquired again;
If it is determined that the second device position information included in the second device information does not match the re-acquired second device position information, the second device is placed in a state in which the distribution is impossible. Item 5. The distribution system according to any one of Items 1 to 4. The content is broadcast program data acquired by the second device,
The third control unit further includes
Determining whether the geographical location indicated by the second device location information is included in the broadcast area of the broadcast program;
The distribution system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein distribution of the content is permitted when it is determined that a geographical position indicated by the second device position information is included in a broadcast area of the broadcast program. A first device that is paired for communication with a second device that holds or relays content and that manages the distribution of the content from the second device via a communication path by a distribution management device;
A first storage unit;
A first output unit for outputting data;
A position detector for outputting first device position information indicating a geographical position of the first device;
A first control unit connected to be communicable with the first storage unit, the first output unit, and the position detector;
The first controller is
Obtaining the first device position information from the position detector;
Transmitting the acquired first device location information to the distribution management device;
Obtaining first information transmitted from the distribution management device;
Providing the acquired first information to the user via the first output unit;
In the distribution management device,
The first device position information and the first information are associated,
The second device obtains the first information by input through the user, and the result of collation with the second information transmitted from the second device indicates that the first information and the second information match. And when it is determined that the first device position information associated with the first information corresponds to the second device position information indicating the geographical position of the second device transmitted from the second device,
The second device is paired with the second device by making the delivery possible.
First device. A second device in which distribution to the first device via a communication path of content that is paired and held or relayed for communication with a first device including a position detector is managed by a distribution management device;
A second storage unit storing second device position information indicating a geographical position of the second device;
An input unit that accepts data input;
A second control unit communicably connected to the second storage unit and the input unit,
The second controller is
Obtaining second information via the input unit;
Obtaining the second device position information from the second storage unit;
The acquired second information and the second device position information are transmitted to the distribution management device,
In the distribution management device,
The result of collation between the second information and the first information transmitted from the distribution management device to the first device indicates that the second information matches the first information, and the second device position information , When it is determined that the first device position information acquired from the position detector and associated with the first information transmitted to the distribution management device corresponds to the first device,
The third information related to the first information is received from the distribution management device and is made ready for distribution, thereby being paired with the first device.
Second device. The content from the second device to the first device via a communication path between a first device having a position detector and a second device that holds or relays the content that is paired for communication A distribution management device for managing the distribution of
A third storage unit;
A third control unit communicably connected to the third storage unit,
The third control unit
Receiving the first device information used for the pairing including the first device position information indicating the geographical position of the first device acquired by the first device from the position detector; Memorize it in the third memory,
Acquiring the first information used for the pairing and transmitting the first information to the first device, and further associating the first information with the first device information and storing them in the third storage unit;
Second device position information indicating the geographical position of the second device and second information acquired by the second device by an input via a user are used as second device information used for the pairing from the second device. Receive,
Collating the first information stored in the third storage unit with the second information included in the received second device information;
When the collation result indicates that the first information matches the second information, the first device position information included in the first device information stored in the third storage unit in association with the first information And whether or not the received second device information includes the second device position information,
When it is determined that the first device position information corresponds to the second device position information, the pairing is executed by setting the second device in a state where the distribution is possible.
Distribution management device.

Images