JPWO2010032289A1 - Content reproduction system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

The content playback system includes a content playback device (2), a content processing device (1), a video output device (3), and an audio output device (4). The content processing device is preset with the quality of the received audio signal based on the content signal received from the content playback device, the image quality information and the audio quality information, and the processing capability information received from the video output device. A determining unit that determines whether to match the quality of the image signal by any one of the plurality of matching methods, and an audio signal adjusting unit that processes the audio signal according to the determined result. By such determination and signal processing, the image quality and the sound quality are balanced.

Description

  The present invention belongs to the technical field of a content reproduction system and method for outputting, for example, an image signal and an audio signal reproduced by an optical disc player from a video device such as a display and a speaker, an audio device, and the like.

  In this type of content playback system, as a AV (Audio Visual) content, a video emitted from a display and a sound emitted from a speaker are simultaneously experienced by a viewer. In this regard, various techniques such as a technique for improving image quality, a technique for improving sound quality, and a high-efficiency transmission technique with a large amount of information for dealing with high-quality images and sounds have been proposed. For example, according to Patent Document 1, pixel data of an uncompressed image can be transmitted at high speed in one direction. For example, efficient data transmission can be performed in a communication interface such as HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface).

JP 2007-325101 A

  However, according to the technique described in Patent Document 1, even if only the image quality or the audio quality is improved, if the image and the sound are not reproduced in an integrated manner, the content can be transferred to the desired content. The impression will fade. In particular, when AV content is authored on an optical disc such as a DVD or BD, the quality of the image is emphasized and the amount of information of the audio signal is reduced due to the limitation of the recordable amount of the optical disc. In many cases, the amount of information is small for the voice, but the opposite is often the case where the voice quality is emphasized. In either case, there is a problem in content production that the balance between the quality of the image and the quality of the sound may be different from the original work.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, for example, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a content reproduction system and method capable of balancing the quality of an image and the quality of sound.

(Embodiment of content reproduction system)
In order to solve the above problems, a content playback system according to the present invention is a content playback system including a content playback device, a content processing device, a video output device, and an audio output device, wherein the content playback device includes an image signal, Reproducing means for reproducing a content signal including an audio signal, and the content processing apparatus includes image signal processing means for signal processing the reproduced image signal, and image quality indicating the quality of the reproduced image signal. Based on the information, the audio quality information indicating the quality of the reproduced audio signal, and the processing capability information indicating the output capability of the video output device, the quality of the reproduced audio signal is set in a plurality of presets. Determining means for determining whether to match the quality of the image signal by any one of the matching methods; and Audio signal adjustment means for performing signal processing on the reproduced audio signal so as to match the quality of the reproduced audio signal with the quality of the reproduced image signal by a predetermined matching method; The video output device includes video output means for outputting the signal-processed image signal as video, and the audio output device includes audio output means for outputting the signal-processed audio signal as audio.

  According to the content reproduction system of the present invention, in operation, first, in a content reproduction apparatus such as an optical disc player such as a DVD player, an image signal and an audio signal are received by reproduction means including, for example, an optical pickup and a decoder. The containing content signal is played back. That is, for example, as in movies, animation, video live, music with video, the image signal and the audio signal are reproduced in a mutually corresponding form or in harmony with the contents of a series of contents. Further, together with the reproduced image signal and audio signal, image quality information indicating the quality of the image signal and audio quality information indicating the quality of the audio signal are transmitted to the content processing apparatus. Here, the “quality of the image signal” means, for example, the level of the predetermined parameter of the image signal that defines the image quality, such as the frame rate, bit rate, drive frequency, resolution, number of gradations, aspect ratio, etc. Show. On the other hand, the “quality of the audio signal” indicates the level or magnitude of a predetermined parameter included in the audio signal that defines the sound quality, such as the bit length or the number of bits, the sampling frequency, the number of channels, the frequency band, and the like. These qualities are not limited to the values of parameters in a narrow sense, but may be information or symbols indicating classifications or groups classified according to grades or categories.

  When an image signal or the like is reproduced in this way, next, the transmitted information is first received by a content processing apparatus including an AV amplifier, a controller, and the like. Then, the received image signal is subjected to, for example, a through process, an image quality improvement process or an interpolation process, a thinning process or a rounding process by an image signal processing means including an image processor, an image memory, and the like. Signal processing. Here, the “through process” means a process for allowing a signal to pass through without performing any process on the image signal. Further, the image signal subjected to the signal processing by the image signal processing means is transmitted to the video output device.

  Subsequently, the quality of the received audio signal is set in advance based on the image quality information and audio quality information received from the content reproduction device as described above, and the processing capability information indicating the processing capability of the video output device. Whether to match the quality of the image signal by any one of a plurality of matching methods is determined by, for example, a determination unit including a processor, a memory, and the like. Here, “a plurality of matching methods” are a plurality of methods (that is, a plurality of combinations or pairs) that respectively define appropriate combinations or pairs of image signal quality and audio signal quality. This is a property set in advance in an empirical or experimental manner in a processing device or for an individual specific content reproduction device, or for an individual specific video output device or audio output device. For example, it is set in advance experimentally or empirically as a method (typically one of them or a conversion method for adjusting sound quality) when realizing a comfortable combination or pair of image quality and sound quality.

  Subsequently, the quality of the received audio signal is determined by the determining unit as described above by processing the audio signal by an audio signal adjusting unit including, for example, a processor, a memory, and a converter. In accordance with the quality of the received image signal. For example, when reproducing a high-quality image signal relative to the audio signal, the quality of the audio signal is increased to match the image signal. Conversely, when the quality of the image signal is low with respect to the audio signal, the quality of the audio signal is lowered to match the image signal. Thereafter, the audio signal subjected to the signal processing in this way is transmitted by, for example, an interface, a modem, or the like connected to the audio output device by wire or wirelessly.

  Then, in the video output apparatus, for example, an image signal transmitted through the signal processing as described above is received by an interface, a modem, or the like connected to the content processing apparatus by wire or wirelessly. Subsequently, the received image signal is output as video by video output means such as a flat panel display, a projector, and a monitor.

  In parallel with such video output, in the audio output device, the audio signal that has been subjected to the above signal processing and transmitted is received by, for example, an interface, a modem, or the like that is connected to the audio output means by wire or wirelessly. Subsequently, the received audio signal is output as audio by an audio output means such as a speaker or an amplifier.

  It should be noted that the content reproduction device such as a player and the content processing device such as an AV amplifier may all function in a single casing or frame, or overlap each other or be arranged side by side, that is, function as one system product. . On the other hand, the content reproduction device and the content processing device may be physically separated from each other.

  As described above, with the one matching method determined by the determining means, the quality of the audio signal is matched with the quality of the image signal, and then video output and audio output are performed. Therefore, it is possible to reliably realize a balance between the quality of the image signal and the quality of the audio signal. Furthermore, by improving the video and audio and balancing the quality of the video and the quality of the audio during playback, a natural one between the video emitted from the video output device and the audio emitted from the audio output device by the viewer. It is possible to experience the experience.

  In particular, when AV content is authored on an optical disc such as a BD, HD-DVD, or DVD that has a large amount of information, the quality of the video signal is emphasized due to limitations on the recordable amount of the optical disc, and the information amount of the audio signal is reduced. Even if the amount of information in the audio is less than that in the work, the information amount of the audio signal that may have been reduced can be recovered. In addition, when the video quality is relatively high but the audio quality is relatively inferior, the audio bit length can be increased or the sampling frequency can be increased. Therefore, high-capacity information for high-quality video / audio can be transmitted with high efficiency, and the viewer can finally experience AV content by balancing the quality of video and audio during playback. Can improve the sense of unity of the image sound. Moreover, there is no difficulty in continuity between devices, and it is extremely advantageous in practice to achieve a system that can automatically adjust to an ideal viewing environment for the viewer.

  In another aspect of the content reproduction system of the present invention, the audio signal adjustment means adjusts the bit length or sampling frequency of the reproduced audio signal by the determined one matching method, thereby reproducing the reproduced audio signal. The reproduced audio signal is subjected to signal processing so that the quality of the audio signal matches the quality of the reproduced image signal.

  According to this aspect, the bit length or sampling frequency of the audio signal is adjusted by the audio signal adjusting unit as one matching method determined by the determining unit as described above. Typically, the bit length is appropriately shortened or lengthened. For example, when the word length of the image signal is longer than usual, that is, so-called high quality, when the audio signal is less than a certain word length, for example, the bit length of the audio signal is adjusted to be extended. Conversely, when the quality of the image signal is low and the audio signal is high quality, for example, the word length of the audio signal is adjusted to be shortened. Specifically, for example, when the image signal is high quality, the audio signal is low quality, and when the audio signal has a bit length less than a certain bit, the bit length of the audio signal is extended. For example, the bit length of the original signal is extended to the lower bits to 24 bits. Conversely, when the quality of the image signal is low and the sound signal is high quality, the word length of the sound signal is shortened. For example, the lower 4 bits are rounded from 24 bits to 20 bits.

  For example, the bit length extension means may extend the bit length by a method of compensating for the lower bit length data. In any case, the bit length may be expanded or shortened with less error.

  On the other hand, when the image signal represents a color space such as xvYCC, it may be adjusted to increase the sampling frequency of the audio signal in order to match the audio signal to a high-quality image signal. For example, the original sampling frequency 48 kHz may be doubled to 96 kHz, or the original sampling frequency 44.1 kHz may be doubled to 88.2 kHz.

  As described above, it is possible to balance the quality of the image signal and the quality of the audio signal by operating the determination unit and the audio signal adjustment unit so as to adjust the bit length or the sampling frequency of the audio signal. Become.

  In another aspect of the content reproduction system of the present invention, the image quality information includes at least one of color depth information and color space information of the image signal, and the processing capability information is an image that can be processed by the video output device. This is information indicating the color depth or color space of the signal.

  According to this aspect, for example, the image quality information received from the player is color depth information. For example, in the case of the RGB standard, the bit length of the RGB standard may be 8 bits, 10 bits, 12 bits, 16 bits, or the like. Furthermore, the DeepColor standard having a bit length of 10 bits or more may be used. Alternatively, instead of or in addition to this, the image quality information is information regarding the color space. For example, the xvYCC standard, YCrCb standard, or RGB standard may be used.

  Further, for example, the processing capability information of the video output device received from the display is the same standard as the image quality information, and may be information indicating the color depth or color space that can be processed by the video output device. For example, it may indicate whether or not it corresponds to the DeepColor standard, whether or not it corresponds to the xvYCC standard, or the bit length that the display can support. Not corresponding to this, that is, non-corresponding means that the video output apparatus cannot reproduce information according to the standard. In other words, in the case of non-correspondence, even if a DeepColor or xvYCC signal is input, the display reproduces only with a quality that can be accommodated by the display.

  In this aspect, the bit length of the RGB standard that is the color depth standard or the bit length of the DeepColor standard, and the YCrCb standard, the xvYCC standard, or the RGB standard, which are the extended color space standards for moving images, are the upper compatible standards. is there.

  In order to match the video / audio quality in this aspect, the image quality information and the processable information are obtained as a premise. Furthermore, by unifying the image quality information and the processing capability information into the same standard, it is possible to achieve a high balance between the audio quality and the quality.

  In another aspect of the content reproduction system of the present invention, the determining means uses the reproduced audio signal in any one of a plurality of preset image modes as the one matching method. It is determined whether the quality of the image signal is matched with the quality of the image signal.

  According to this aspect, as a matching method of a plurality of image quality, a plurality of image sounds such as a standard image sound mode, a movie (Movie) image sound mode, a music (Music) image sound mode, and a sports (Sports) image sound mode. The mode may be set in advance. Therefore, according to each scene, it can reproduce | regenerate with an appropriate one among the image-and-picture modes set.

  For example, when the standard image / sound mode is determined, the audio signal bit or the sampling frequency is adjusted according to the determination condition as to whether the image signal is the DeepColor standard or the xvYCC standard. At this time, since both the dynamic range indicating the quality of the audio signal and the sense of wideness are emphasized, it is possible to adjust both the bit length and the sampling frequency of the audio signal. Similarly, when the movie image / sound mode is determined, since the movie has a long viewing time and does not need to spread the sound, that is, only the dynamic range of the sound signal is emphasized, only the bit length of the sound signal is adjusted. It becomes possible. When the music image / sound mode is selected, since the movie has a long viewing time and does not need to spread the sound, that is, only the dynamic range of the sound signal is emphasized, only the bit length of the sound signal can be adjusted. It becomes possible. Further, when the sports image / sound mode is determined, only the sense of wideness of the audio signal is emphasized, so that only the sampling frequency of the audio signal can be adjusted.

  Therefore, by playing in a special image and sound mode according to the special content content or special scene, the video and audio are integrated and reproduced, and the impression that the content wants to convey further deepens. It becomes feasible. That is, an optimal sound field can be provided for a special scene.

  In this aspect, the determination means determines one of the plurality of image sound modes as an initial setting.

  With this configuration, for example, the image / sound mode is set by an initial setting operation, and the setting state is stored in the content reproduction apparatus. Further, when reproducing a DVD, it is determined whether or not the set image sound mode is recorded in the content reproduction device. If it is recorded, the image and sound corresponding to the image sound mode are recorded. Play.

  Then, for example, it is not necessary to reset the image / sound mode when reproducing the AV content, and the AV content can be viewed without performing a troublesome setting operation.

  In another aspect of the content reproduction system of the present invention, between the content reproduction apparatus and the content processing apparatus, and between the content processing apparatus and the video output apparatus, the image signal, the audio signal, and the image are transmitted through a digital interface. Quality information, the audio quality information, and the processing capability information can be transmitted and received, and the digital interface is an HDMI cable.

  According to this aspect, since the image signal, the audio signal, the image quality information, the audio quality information, and the processing capability information are transmitted / received via the HDMI cable, the content processing device, the content reproduction device, and the video output device can be easily connected. And can be connected securely.

  Here, all the HDMI cables have the same standard. The same standard means that the transmission system is the same regardless of the shape of the terminal connected to the cable, that is, the plug. Therefore, HDMI and IEEE 1394 are not the same standard. On the other hand, HDMI is classified into an A type, a B type, and a C type according to the type of plug or connector in the standard version at the present stage.

  Accordingly, high-efficiency transmission of a large amount of information can be performed so that a high-quality video / audio signal can be transmitted, and image processing information, audio quality information, and processing capability information necessary for adjusting the audio signal are simultaneously transmitted to a predetermined processing unit Can be transmitted.

  In another aspect of the content reproduction system of the present invention, the content reproduction apparatus includes the reproduced image signal and audio signal, image quality information indicating the quality of the image signal, and audio quality information indicating the quality of the audio signal. The content processing device further includes first communication means for receiving the transmitted image signal, audio signal, image quality information and audio quality information, and the processing capability information. Second communication means for receiving and transmitting the signal processed image signal, and voice transmitting means for transmitting the signal processed audio signal are further provided.

  According to this aspect, the image quality information indicating the quality of the image signal and the audio quality information indicating the quality of the audio signal together with the image signal and the audio signal reproduced by the content reproduction device are connected to the content reproduction device by wire or wireless, for example. Received by the first communication means such as the interface or modem. In parallel with or in parallel with this, processing capability information indicating the processing capability of the video output device is received by a second communication means such as an interface or a modem connected to the video output device by wire or wirelessly. Here, the first and second communication means may be shared or may be independent of each other. Furthermore, the image signal processed by the image signal processing means is transmitted by the second communication means.

  Here, prior to the determination in the determination unit described above, the processing capability information described above may be extracted from a holding unit such as a memory, and may be received via the second communication unit of the content processing apparatus, The processing capability information may be stored in advance in a holding unit such as a memory included in the content processing apparatus or connected to the content processing apparatus.

(Embodiment of content reproduction method)
In order to solve the above problems, a content playback method according to the present invention is a content playback method in a content playback system including a content playback device, a content processing device, a video output device, and an audio output device. A reproduction process for reproducing a content signal including an image signal and an audio signal is executed. In the content processing apparatus, an image signal processing process for performing signal processing on the reproduced image signal and a quality of the reproduced image signal are determined. The quality of the received audio signal is preset based on image quality information indicating, audio quality information indicating the quality of the reproduced audio signal, and processing capability information indicating the output capability of the video output device. Whether to match the quality of the image signal with any one of a plurality of matching methods An audio signal adjustment for signal processing the reproduced audio signal so that the quality of the reproduced audio signal matches the quality of the reproduced image signal by the determined one matching method. And the video output device executes a video output step of outputting the signal-processed image signal, and the audio output device outputs a sound of the signal-processed audio signal. Is executed.

  According to the content reproduction method of the present invention, as in the case of the content reproduction system according to the present invention described above, the quality of the audio signal is matched to the quality of the image signal by one matching method determined by the determination step. In addition, video output and audio output are performed. Therefore, it is possible to reliably realize a balance between the quality of the image signal and the quality of the audio signal. Further, by improving the video and audio and balancing the quality of the video and the quality of the audio during playback, a natural one between the video emitted from the video reproduction device and the audio emitted from the audio reproduction device by the viewer. It is possible to experience the experience.

  In the content reproduction method according to the present invention, various aspects similar to those in the case of the content reproduction system according to the present invention described above can be adopted.

  The operation and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the best mode for carrying out the invention to be described below.

  As described above in detail, the content reproduction system of the present invention includes a content processing device, and the content processing device further includes a determination unit and an audio signal adjustment unit that match image and sound quality, while the content of the present invention. Since the reproduction method includes a determination step for matching image and sound quality and an audio signal adjustment step, it is possible to improve the image quality and the sound quality and to balance the image quality and the sound quality. .

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the content reproduction system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart shown about the content reproduction method which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the determination part which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows an example of the some image sound mode which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Content processing apparatus, 2 ... Content reproduction apparatus, 3 ... Video output apparatus, 4 ... Audio | voice output apparatus, 11 ... 1st communication part, 12 ... 2nd communication part, 13 ... Image signal processing part, 14 determination part ..., DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 ... Audio | voice signal adjustment part, 16 ... Audio | voice transmission part, 21 ... Disc, 22 ... Playback part, 23 ... Playback side communication part, 31 ... Image | video side communication part, 32 ... Image | video output part, 32a ... Memory, 41 ... Audio | voice side Communication unit 42 ... Audio output unit 51, 52 ... HDMI cable

  Hereinafter, embodiments according to a content reproduction system and method of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

  First, the overall configuration of the content reproduction system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the content reproduction system according to the embodiment.

  In FIG. 1, the content reproduction system includes a content processing device 1, a content reproduction device 2, a video output device 3, and an audio output device 4. The content processing device 1, the content playback device 2, the video output device 3 and the audio output device 4 exchange AV content signals including image signals and audio signals and quality information of the video and audio signals, and reproduce video and audio. Output.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the content reproduction apparatus 2 is an optical disk player such as a DVD player, for example, and includes a reproduction unit 22 that reproduces the optical disc 21 and a reproduction-side communication unit 23 that transmits the reproduced content signal. ing.

  The reproduction unit 22 reproduces the disc 21 inserted in the content reproduction apparatus 2 and reads the image signal, the audio signal, and the quality information of each of the image signal and the audio signal on the disc. The type of the disk 21 here is not limited to the number of recording layers, and various types such as a BlueRay disk, HD-DVD, and DVD can be considered. In any case, the disc 21 has information such as AV content to be reproduced by the content reproduction system. The quality information of the image signal is information indicating the DeepColor standard as an example of color depth information of the image signal and information indicating xvYCC as an example of color space information.

  In addition, the reproduction side communication unit 23 is cable-connected to the first transmission unit 11 of the content processing apparatus 1. The reproduction-side communication unit 23 transmits information read from the disc 21 by the reproduction unit 22 to the first communication unit 11.

  The content processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that processes an image signal and an audio signal such as an AV amplifier. The content processing apparatus 1 includes a first communication unit 11, a second communication unit 12, an image signal processing unit 13, a determination unit 14, an audio signal adjustment unit 15, and an audio transmission unit 16.

  The first communication unit 11 is cable-connected to the reproduction side communication unit 23 of the content reproduction apparatus 2 and receives the content signal including the image signal and the audio signal, the image quality information, and the audio quality information from the reproduction side communication unit 23. To do. The first communication unit 11 transmits the received image signal to the image signal processing unit 13 and transmits the audio signal to the audio signal adjustment unit 15. Here, the audio signal adjustment unit 15 is an example of the “image signal processing unit” according to the present invention, which performs quality matching of the audio signal. The first communication unit 11 transmits the image quality information and the audio quality information to the determination unit 14.

  The second communication unit 12 receives the processing capability information of the video output device 3 via the video side communication unit 31 as a receiving mechanism. Here, the processing capability information is information indicating the color depth and color space that can be processed by the video output device 3, and more specifically, whether or not it corresponds to the DeepColor standard, whether or not it corresponds to the xvYCC standard, Or the bit length etc. which a display can respond | correspond are shown. On the other hand, the second communication unit 12 transmits the image signal processed by the image signal processing unit 13 to the video side communication unit 31 as a transmission mechanism.

  The image signal processing unit 13 processes the image signal received by the first communication unit 11. In a normal case, the image processing unit 13 transmits the image signal received from the first communication unit 11 to the second communication unit 12 as it is without being processed as a through processing unit.

  Based on the image quality information and audio quality information received by the first communication unit 11 and the processing capability information received by the second communication unit 12, the determination unit 14 prepares a plurality of quality of audio signals in advance. Of the image sound modes, it is determined which image sound mode matches the quality of the image signal.

  The determination unit 14 of the present embodiment has a plurality of matching methods, that is, a plurality of image sound modes. The plurality of matching methods will be described in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4 to be described later, and FIG. 1 shows only one matching method.

  The audio signal adjustment unit 15 signals the received audio signal so that the quality of the audio signal received by the determined matching method matches the quality of the received image signal according to the determination result of the determination unit 14. Process. For example, when reproducing a high-quality image signal relative to the audio signal, the quality of the audio signal is increased to match the image signal. Conversely, when the quality of the image signal is low with respect to the audio signal, the quality of the audio signal is lowered to match the image signal.

  In the present embodiment, the audio signal adjustment unit 15 adjusts the bit length or sampling frequency of the audio signal received by the determined one matching method to perform signal processing so that the audio signal matches the quality of the image signal. To do. In other words, when the word length of the image signal is longer than usual, that is, so-called high quality, the audio signal adjustment unit 15 adjusts, for example, to extend the bit length of the audio signal or increase the sampling frequency. Conversely, when the quality of the image signal is low and the audio signal is high, the audio signal adjustment unit 15 adjusts so as to shorten the word length of the audio signal, for example.

  Specifically, for example, when the image signal is high quality or the audio signal is low quality, the bit length of the audio signal is extended to the lower bits to 24 bits or the sampling frequency is doubled. Conversely, when the image signal quality is low and the audio signal is high quality, the word length of the audio signal is shortened, that is, the lower 4 bits are rounded from 24 bits to 20 bits.

  Therefore, the video quality and the audio quality can be balanced by operating the determination unit 14 and the audio signal adjustment unit 15 so as to adjust the bit length or the sampling frequency of the audio signal.

  By the operation of the determination unit 14 and the audio signal adjustment unit 15 described above, the content processing device 1 obtains video quality information to be reproduced from the content reproduction device 2, makes a determination in the determination unit 14 based on the information, and further Then, signal processing by the audio signal adjustment unit 15 is performed. The content processing apparatus 1 acquires the processing capability information of the video output unit 32 of the video output device 3 in advance, and controls the audio signal adjustment unit 15 so as to match the quality of the image signal that is finally reproduced. To do.

  Therefore, it is possible to reliably realize a balance between the quality of the image signal and the quality of the audio signal. Further, by improving the video and audio and balancing the quality of the video and the quality of the audio during playback, a natural one between the video emitted from the video reproduction device and the audio emitted from the audio reproduction device by the viewer. It is possible to experience the experience.

  The audio transmission unit 16 transmits the audio signal adjusted by the audio signal adjustment unit 15 to the audio side communication unit 41 of the audio output device 4.

  The video output device 3 is a display, for example, and outputs an image signal transmitted from the content processing device. The video output device 3 includes a video side communication unit 31 and a video output unit 32.

  The video output unit 32 stores reproduction / display capability information as its own display in the memory 32a as an example of “processing capability information” according to the present invention. This reproduction / display capability information means the extent to which the display can handle the color depth or color space. Here, the “playback / display capability information” is information indicating the color depth and color space that can be handled by the same standard according to the image quality information of the content playback apparatus 2. Specifically, it is whether or not it corresponds to the DeepColor standard, and whether or not it corresponds to the xvYCC standard. The reproduction / display capability information may be held in a format other than the type stored in the memory 32a. For example, it may be an optically or visually readable label or sticker, or may be obtained by optically reading by the content processing apparatus 1, or content processing after being visually read by a user or the like. Input to the device 1 or manual input may be performed.

  The video output unit 32 outputs the image signal received from the content processing apparatus 1 as a video. That is, it is displayed on the screen of its own in the direct view type or on a screen separately provided in the projection type.

  In order to match the quality of the image and the sound on the content processing apparatus 1 side, the image quality information and the processable information are obtained as a premise. Furthermore, by unifying the image quality information and the processing capability information into the same standard, it is possible to achieve a high balance between the audio quality and the quality.

  Furthermore, by considering the playback / display capability information performed by the video output unit 32, that is, by sufficiently considering the problem of whether playback / display is possible on the video output side, the image quality matching process is extremely reliable. Can be realized.

  Similar to the second communication unit 12 of the content processing apparatus 1, the video side communication unit 31 has two functions. The video side communication unit 31 is connected to the second communication unit 12 of the content processing apparatus 1 as a transmission mechanism by a cable. The video side communication unit 31 extracts the reproduction / display capability information stored in the memory 32 a and transmits it to the second communication unit 12. To do. On the other hand, as a receiving mechanism, the image signal processed by the image signal processing unit 13 of the content processing device 1 is received via the second communication unit for output by the video output unit 32.

  The audio output device 4 is a speaker, for example, and includes an audio side communication unit 41 and an audio output unit 42. The audio side communication unit 41 receives from the audio transmission unit 16 an audio signal processed by the content processing apparatus 1 and particularly subjected to the image and sound quality matching processing. The audio output unit 42 outputs audio based on the audio signal received by the audio side communication unit 41.

  With the above configuration, the audio signal can be controlled in association with the quality of each of the image signal and the audio signal. Furthermore, even if AV content is reproduced from an optical disc such as a BD, HD-DVD, or DVD with a large amount of information, if the quality of the audio signal is relatively inferior, the bit length of the audio is increased or the sampling frequency is increased. It is possible to operate. Therefore, a large amount of information for high-quality video / audio can be transmitted with high efficiency, and the viewer can finally experience the AV content by balancing the video quality and audio quality during playback. The sense of unity of the image sound can be improved. Moreover, it is extremely advantageous to achieve a system that can automatically adjust the problems between the devices and automatically adjust to the ideal viewing environment for the viewer.

  Note that the content reproduction system of this embodiment includes HDMI cables 51 and 52. The HDMI cables 51 and 52 are configured to interconnect the content processing device 1, the content playback device 2, and the video output device 3 as connection members, and to transmit and receive image quality information, audio quality information, and processing capability information. ing. The transmission standard to which the content processing device 1, the content reproduction device 2, and the video output device 3 are compliant is HDMI. All HDMI cables have the same standard. By using an HDMI cable, high-efficiency transmission of a large amount of information is possible so as to transmit a high-quality video / audio signal, and image quality information, audio quality information, and processing capability information necessary for adjusting the audio signal Can be transmitted to the predetermined processing unit simultaneously with the content signal.

  Next, a content reproduction method in the content reproduction system will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the content reproduction method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  2, first, as an example of “reproducing content information” according to the present invention, for example, an image signal recorded on a disc 21 inserted in a content reproduction device 2 (see FIG. 1) such as an optical disc player, and the like. A content signal including an audio signal is reproduced. That is, the image signal and the audio signal on the disk 21 are read, and in addition, the quality information of each of the image signal and the audio signal is read (step S101).

  Next, as an example of “sending content information from the playback side” according to the present invention, the quality information of each of the read image signal, audio signal, image signal, and audio signal is sent to the playback side communication unit 23 (FIG. 1). (See FIG. 4), the data is transmitted to the first communication unit 11 of the content processing apparatus 1 through the HDMI cable 51 which is a digital interface. (Step S102).

  Then, the content processing apparatus receives the image signal, the audio signal, the image quality information, and the audio quality information transmitted from the content reproduction apparatus as an example of “reception of content information on the processing side” according to the present invention. Among these, since image signal processing is performed on the image signal, the image signal is transmitted to the image signal processing unit 13 (see FIG. 1). The audio signal, the image quality information, and the audio quality information are transmitted to the determination unit 14 because matching processing is performed (step S103).

  Next, as an example of “processing the image signal” according to the present invention, the image signal reproduced and transmitted by the content reproduction apparatus 2 (see FIG. 1) is subjected to through processing. That is, it is transmitted to the next second communication unit 12 (see FIG. 1) without being processed substantially (step S104).

  Next, as an example of “transmitting an image signal from the processing side” according to the present invention, the through-processed image signal is transmitted through the HDMI cable 52, which is a digital interface, by the second communication unit 12 (see FIG. 1). It is transmitted to the video side communication unit 31 of the video output device 3 (step S105).

  Next, the video output device 3 receives the image signal transmitted from the content processing device 1 and transmits it to the next video output unit 32 as an example of “receiving the image signal on the output side” according to the present invention. (Step S106).

  Next, at the end of the image signal processing, as an example of “output image signal” according to the present invention, the received image signal is output as a video (step S107).

  In parallel with or before or after the step of reproducing the content information (step S101), the video output device 3 performs the processing of the video output device 3 as an example of “holding processing capability information” according to the present invention. The capability information is held in the memory 32a (see FIG. 1) (step S108).

  Next, as an example of “sending processing capability information from the output side” according to the present invention, processing capability information is taken out from the memory 32a (see FIG. 1) and is transmitted by the video side communication unit 31 such as a digital interface, that is, The data is transmitted to the second communication unit of the content processing apparatus 1 through the HDMI cable 52 (step S109).

  In the content processing apparatus, as an example of “receiving processing capability information on the processing side”, the processing capability information extracted and transmitted is received, and processing for determining the next matching method is performed. (Step S110).

  Next, as an example of “determining the matching method” according to the present invention, the audio signal, the image quality information and the audio quality information received from the content reproduction device 2, and the video output device in parallel with or in parallel with the audio signal 3, it is determined whether the quality of the received audio signal is matched with the quality of the image signal by any one of a plurality of preset matching methods based on the processing capability information received from 3. (Step S111).

  Subsequently, as an example of “adjusting the audio signal bit length or sampling frequency” according to the present invention, the received audio signal is signal-processed by the determined matching method, that is, the quality of the audio signal is changed to the image signal. The bit length or sampling frequency of the audio signal is adjusted to match the quality of the audio signal. For example, when reproducing a high-quality image signal relative to the audio signal, the quality of the audio signal is increased to match the image signal. Conversely, when the quality of the image signal is low with respect to the audio signal, the quality of the audio signal is lowered to match the image signal. (Step S112).

  Thereafter, as an example of “sending an audio signal from the processing side” according to the present invention, an audio signal whose bit length or sampling frequency is adjusted is transmitted by the second communication unit 12 such as a digital interface, that is, through the HDMI cable 52. It is transmitted to the audio output device 4 (step S113).

  Next, in the audio output device 4, as an example of “receiving the audio signal on the output side” according to the present invention, the processed and transmitted audio signal is received and the audio output process is performed. The data is transmitted to the unit 42 (step S114).

  Finally, in parallel with or before and after the video output, as an example of “output an audio signal” according to the present invention, the received audio signal is output by the audio output unit 42 such as a speaker ( Step S115).

  By the series of processes described above, it is possible to reliably achieve a balance between the quality of the image signal and the quality of the audio signal. Furthermore, by improving the video and audio and balancing the quality of the video and the quality of the audio during playback, a natural one between the video emitted from the video output device and the audio emitted from the audio output device by the viewer. It is possible to experience the experience.

  Next, the flow of the process of the determination unit 14 according to the embodiment (that is, the process of step S111 in FIG. 2) will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 shows an example of processing of the determination unit according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 3, first, the color depth of the quality information of the image signal is checked, that is, it is determined whether or not the image signal has a bit length of 10 or more such as DeepColor (step S1). The quality information of the image signal is transmitted by the player shown in FIG.

  If the result of the determination in step S1 is other than DeepColor (step S1: No), the DeepColor determination (that is, the color depth check) is terminated, and the process proceeds to xvYCC determination (step S2).

  On the other hand, if the result of determination in step S1 is DeepColor (step S1: Yes), the process proceeds to display determination (step S11) to check the display side processing capability information, and the display side can reproduce the deepcolor image signal. That is, it is determined whether DeepColor is supported or not supported, or whether the corresponding bit length is 10 bits or more (step S11). The processing capacity information is transmitted by the display shown in FIG.

  If the result of the determination in step S11 is non-corresponding or the corresponding bit length is less than 10 (step S11: No), that is, if the display reproduces with a quality that can be handled even if a DeepColor signal is input, the DeepColor determination ( That is, the color depth check) is terminated, and the process proceeds to xvYCC discrimination (step S2).

  On the other hand, if the corresponding or corresponding bit length is 10 or more (step S11: Yes), the process proceeds to checking the quality information of the audio signal. For example, it is determined whether the audio signal is 24 bits (step S12). The audio signal is transmitted together with the image signal by the player shown in FIG. If the bit length of the audio signal is 24, that is, if all the image and sound signals are of high quality (step S12: Yes), the process ends without adjusting the audio signal bit length. When the bit length of the audio signal is not 24, that is, when the image signal is high quality and the audio signal is low quality (step S12: No), the bit length adjustment processing of the audio signal is performed, for example, the original signal The lower bits are extended so as to adjust the bit length to 24 bits (step S13). Thereafter, the image / sound quality matching process is terminated.

  As a result of the determination in step S11, if the processing capability of the image signal or the display is not high quality (step S11: No), the color space of the quality information of the image signal is checked, that is, whether the image signal is xvYCC standard or not. It discriminate | determines (step S2).

  If the result of this determination is other than xvYCC (step S2: No), the color depth check is terminated, and the quality information of the audio signal is checked (step S22).

  On the other hand, if the result of determination in step S2 is the xvYCC standard (step S2: Yes), the process proceeds to display determination (step S21), and the processing capability information on the display side is checked. It is determined whether the display side can reproduce the image signal of the xvYCC standard, that is, whether it corresponds to the xvYCC standard or not (step S21). If this is the case (step S21: Yes), the sampling frequency adjustment processing of the audio signal is performed, for example, the original sampling frequency 48 kHz is doubled to 96 kHz, or the original sampling frequency 44.1 kHz is doubled to 88.2 kHz. (Step S24). Thereafter, the image / sound quality matching process is terminated. In the case of non-correspondence, that is, when the display reproduces with the quality that can be handled even if the xvYCC standard signal is input (step S21: No), it proceeds to check the quality information of the audio signal (step S22).

  Next, if the display is not compatible with the DeepColor and xvYCC standards, the quality information of the audio signal is checked, that is, it is determined whether or not the bit length of the audio signal is 24 (step S22). When the bit length of the audio signal is 24, that is, the image signal is low quality and the audio signal is high quality (step S22: Yes), the bit length adjustment processing of the audio signal is performed, for example, the bit of the original signal The lower bits are rounded so as to adjust the length from 24 bits to 20 bits (step S23). When the bit length of the audio signal is not 24, that is, all the image and sound signals are low quality (step S22: No), the image and sound quality matching process is terminated without adjusting the audio signal bit length.

  As described above, the determination unit 14 is operated so as to adjust the bit length or sampling frequency of the audio signal, so that it becomes easy to balance the video quality and the audio quality.

  Further, a plurality of image sound modes of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a plurality of image sound modes according to the embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of image sound modes are set in advance, and are stored in a table format in a memory unit (not shown) included in the determination unit 14 or connected to the determination unit 14. Thereafter, when the content is reproduced, the determining unit 14 selects one image sound mode to determine whether the quality of the received audio signal matches the image signal quality.

  In FIG. 4, a standard image mode, a movie image mode, a music image mode, and a sports image mode are provided as matching methods. The adjustment process for the audio signal is shown according to the condition and condition of the image signal in each image sound mode. Since the matching method shown in FIG. 4 is the same as the matching method shown in FIG. 3, the determination on the display side is not explained for convenience of explanation.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the standard image sound mode is selected, the audio signal is adjusted depending on whether the image signal is a DeepColor standard as the condition 1 and whether the image signal is the xvYCC standard as the condition 2. (See FIG. 3). In the standard image sound mode, since both the dynamic range indicating the quality of the audio signal and the sense of wideness are emphasized, both the bit length and the sampling frequency of the audio signal can be adjusted. Specifically, when the image signal conforms to the DeepColor standard, the bit length of the audio signal is extended by 4 bits from the bit length of the original signal. For example, the original 16 bits are expanded to 20 bits or 20 bits to 24 bits. On the other hand, when the image signal is xvYCC standard, the sampling frequency of the audio signal is doubled. For example, the original 44.1 kHz is increased to 88.2 kHz, or 48 kHz is increased to 96 kHz.

  When the movie image / sound mode is selected, the movie has a long viewing time and it is not necessary to make the sound wide, that is, only the dynamic range of the audio signal is emphasized, so only the bit length of the audio signal can be adjusted. It becomes possible. Specifically, when the image signal is in the DeepColor standard, the bit length of the audio signal is extended by 4 bits from the bit length of the original signal, as in the adjustment of the standard mode.

  When the music image / sound mode is selected, the adjustment for the audio signal is almost the same as in the standard mode. However, as shown in FIG. 4, as a mode in which the quality of the audio signal is most important, when the image signal is the DeepColor standard, the bit length of the audio signal is all expanded to 24 bits. For example, the original 16 bits are expanded to 24 bits, or 20 bits are expanded to 24 bits.

  Furthermore, when the sports image / sound mode is selected, it is possible to adjust only the sampling frequency of the audio signal because only the sense of wideness of the audio signal is emphasized. Specifically, when the image signal is in the xvYCC standard, the sampling frequency of the audio signal is doubled as in the adjustment in the standard mode.

  According to this configuration, by reproducing in the special image / sound mode according to the special content content or the special scene, the video and the audio are reproduced in an integrated manner, and an optimal effect sound field can be provided.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the standard image sound mode is set as an initial setting. That is, as a default setting, the content playback device 2 stores the setting state of the normal image sound mode. Then, when the content is reproduced, it is directly reproduced in the normal mode unless the image / sound mode is reset. Therefore, it is not necessary to reset the image / sound mode when reproducing the AV content, and the AV content can be viewed without performing a troublesome setting operation.

  The present invention is, for example, a content reproduction system for outputting image signals and audio signals reproduced by an optical disk player from video equipment such as a display and speakers, audio equipment, etc., or image signals and audio signals received by a broadcast receiver. Can be used in the technical field of a content reproduction system and method for outputting from a video device such as a display or a speaker, an audio device, or the like.

Claims (8)

A content playback system including a content playback device, a content processing device, a video output device, and an audio output device,
The content reproduction apparatus includes a reproduction unit that reproduces a content signal including an image signal and an audio signal.
The content processing apparatus comprises: image signal processing means for processing the reproduced image signal; image quality information indicating the quality of the reproduced image signal; and audio quality information indicating the quality of the reproduced audio signal; In addition, the quality of the reproduced audio signal is set to the quality of the image signal by any one of a plurality of preset matching methods based on the processing capability information indicating the output capability of the video output device. Determining means for determining whether to match, and processing the signal of the reproduced audio signal so that the quality of the reproduced audio signal matches the quality of the reproduced image signal by the determined one matching method Audio signal adjustment means,
The video output device includes video output means for outputting the image signal subjected to the signal processing,
The audio output device includes audio output means for outputting the signal-processed audio signal as audio.   The audio signal adjusting means adjusts the bit length or sampling frequency of the reproduced audio signal by the determined one matching method, thereby adjusting the quality of the reproduced audio signal of the reproduced image signal. 2. The content reproduction system according to claim 1, wherein the reproduced audio signal is subjected to signal processing so as to match the quality. The image quality information includes at least one of color depth information and color space information of the image signal,
The content playback system according to claim 1, wherein the processing capability information is information indicating a color depth or a color space of an image signal that can be processed by the video output device.   The determining means determines whether the quality of the reproduced audio signal is matched with the quality of the image signal in any one of a plurality of preset image modes as the matching method. The content reproduction system according to claim 1, wherein the content reproduction system is determined.   5. The content reproduction system according to claim 4, wherein the determining means determines one of the plurality of image sound modes as an initial setting. Between the content playback device and the content processing device, and between the content processing device and the video output device, the image signal, the audio signal, the image quality information, the audio quality information, and the processing capability information are transmitted through a digital interface. Can be sent and received,
The content reproduction system according to claim 1, wherein the digital interface is an HDMI cable. The content reproduction apparatus further includes reproduction-side communication means for transmitting the reproduced image signal and audio signal, image quality information indicating the quality of the image signal, and audio quality information indicating the quality of the audio signal. ,
The content processing apparatus receives a first communication unit that receives the transmitted image signal, audio signal, image quality information, and audio quality information, and receives the processing capability information and transmits the signal-processed image signal. The content reproduction system according to claim 1, further comprising: a second communication unit; and an audio transmission unit that transmits the audio signal subjected to the signal processing. A content playback method in a content playback system including a content playback device, a content processing device, a video output device, and an audio output device,
In the content reproduction apparatus, a reproduction step of reproducing a content signal including an image signal and an audio signal is executed,
In the content processing device, an image signal processing step for signal processing the reproduced image signal, image quality information indicating the quality of the reproduced image signal, and audio quality information indicating the quality of the reproduced audio signal, In addition, based on the processing capability information indicating the output capability of the video output device, the quality of the received audio signal is set to the quality of the image signal by any one of a plurality of preset matching methods. A decision step for deciding whether to match, and signal processing the reproduced audio signal so that the quality of the reproduced audio signal matches the quality of the reproduced image signal by the determined one matching method Audio signal adjustment process is executed,
In the video output device, a video output process of outputting the signal-processed image signal as a video is executed,
In the audio output device, an audio output step of outputting the audio signal subjected to the signal processing is executed.

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