KR101564224B1 - System and method for sharing contents among devices on home network - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a home network based inter-device content sharing system and method. According to the present invention, a media gateway (MGW) receives and collects performance information and shareable content information from a plurality of devices, and transmits the collected content information to a plurality of devices. When the MGW receives a request for sharing a specific content contained in shared content information collected from a specific device among a plurality of devices, the MGW requests and receives a specific content from a plurality of devices having a specific content. Converts the specific content received by the MGW into a format suitable for performance information of a specific device, and transmits the converted content to a specific device. At this time, when the quality of the specific content received is lower than the processing capability according to the performance information of the specific device, the MGW can receive content corresponding to the processing capability of the specific device from the content providing server and transmit the content to the specific device. According to the present invention, different types of data formats can be processed on a home network basis, and devices having different communication interfaces can be effectively shared while maintaining the quality of contents.

Home network, UPnP, performance, content, sharing

Description

[0001] System and method for content sharing between devices based on a home network [0002]

The present invention relates to a home network based content sharing service, and more particularly, to a home network based content sharing service which implements content sharing among a plurality of devices in consideration of performance information and shared content information of a plurality of devices connected on a home network Device content sharing system and method.

2. Description of the Related Art [0002] In recent years, various devices that utilize technologies for efficiently realizing content sharing among devices required in providing a home network service or a communication broadcasting convergence service are being widely launched.

In particular, in sharing contents between home devices in a home network environment, a home network-based content sharing system controls contents in consideration of device characteristics and communication environment, and provides content on a communication network in order to provide services of better quality. It is implemented so that it can work with the server.

However, since content sharing between devices in such a home network only regulates the reproduction of the content through delivery of the content list and the metadata, there is a limit to providing an optimal use environment for the user. For example, a high-resolution video stored in a set-top box (STB) can not be played smoothly even if a portable device such as a mobile phone or a portable multimedia player (PMP) supports playback of the video file format . In addition, it is difficult to ensure smooth transmission when the communication interfaces used in the use of streaming contents between user devices are different. Therefore, it is required to develop a technology for providing a service in consideration of the characteristics of the shared contents on the home network.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a home network-based content sharing apparatus for sharing content among devices in consideration of performance of a plurality of devices having different communication interfaces connected to a home network. System, and method.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a home network based inter-device content sharing system including a content providing server and a control server. The content providing server provides the content. The control server receives and collects performance information and shareable shared content information of a plurality of devices connected to each MGW from a plurality of MGWs and collects the collected shared content information through the plurality of MGWs And receiving a sharing request for a specific content included in the collected shared content information from a specific device connected to the specific MGW among the plurality of MGWs, And transmits the received specific content to the specific device via the specific MGW.

The present invention also provides an information transmission method comprising: an information transmission step of a media gateway (MGW) receiving and collecting performance information and shareable shared content information from a plurality of devices, and transmitting the collected shared content information to the plurality of devices; A content receiving step of, when receiving a sharing request for a specific content contained in the collected shared content information from a specific device among the plurality of devices, requesting and receiving the specific content from a device in the plurality of devices having the specific content; And converting the received specific content into a format suitable for the performance information of the specific device and transmitting the converted content to the specific device.

The present invention also provides a media gateway (MGW) of a home network-based inter-device content sharing system including a first transceiver and a first controller. The first transceiver performs data transmission / reception with a plurality of devices. The first control unit receives and collects performance information and shareable content information each of which can be shared from the plurality of devices through the first transceiver, transmits the collected shared content information to the plurality of devices, Upon receipt of a sharing request of a specific content included in the collected shared content information from a specific device among the devices, requests and receives the specific content from a device in the plurality of devices having the specific content, Converts the format into a format suitable for the performance information of the specific device, and transmits the format to the specific device.

The present invention also provides a control server for receiving and collecting performance information and shareable shared content information of a plurality of devices connected to respective MGWs from a plurality of media gateways (MGWs), collecting the collected shared content information To the plurality of devices via the MGW of the specific MGW; and when the control server receives a sharing request of a specific content included in the collected shared content information from a specific device connected to the specific MGW among the plurality of MGWs A content receiving step of requesting and receiving the specific content from a device of another MGW having a specific content and a content transmitting step of transmitting the specific content received by the control server to the specific device via the specific MGW And provides a network-based content sharing method between devices.

The present invention also provides a control server of a home network-based inter-device content sharing system including a second transceiver and a second controller. The second control unit performs sharing of contents among a plurality of devices and performs data transmission / reception with a plurality of media gateways (MGWs) constituting different home networks. The second control unit receives and collects performance information and shareable shared content information of the plurality of devices connected to each MGW from the plurality of MGWs through the second transceiver unit, When receiving a sharing request of a specific content included in the collected shared content information from a specific device connected to a specific MGW among the plurality of MGWs through a plurality of MGWs, Or receives the specific content from a device of another MGW and receives the specific content, and transmits the received specific content to the specific device via the specific MGW.

As described above, the home network-based content sharing system and method according to the present invention provides an effect of effectively sharing contents among devices having different communication interfaces and processing different data formats on one home network .

In addition, the quality of the shared content can be optimized and provided, and the content can be effectively shared among devices that process different data formats on different home networks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention will be given with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description of the present invention, detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear.

In the present specification, when one component 'transmits' data or a signal to another component, either component can transmit data or signals directly to another component, and at least one other component Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > and / or < / RTI > to other components.

1, the home network-based inter-device content sharing system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a first device 10 and a Media Gateway (hereinafter referred to as MGW) Quot;). The first device 10 includes a plurality of devices such as the 1-1 to first-n devices.

The first device 10 is a communication terminal connected to the MGW 20 and performs communication such as PLC (Power Line Communication), Ethernet, IEEE 1394, WiFi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, UWB (Ultra WideBand) Interface. The first device 10 responds based on Universal Plug and Play (hereinafter referred to as 'uPnP') based on the inter-device search and information transfer function provided by the MGW 20. For example, the first device 10 may be a multimedia phone such as an IPTV, a PC, a notebook, a PDA, a GSM phone, a W-CDMA phone, a CDMA-2000 phone, a Mobile Broad and System And a multimedia player.

As described above, the first device 10 connected to the MGW 20 can exist in various forms, and the first device 10 can be roughly classified into a DMS (Digital Media Server) and a DMP (Digital Media Player) . For example, the first device 10, such as a wireless terminal, has the capability to play back content in addition to the ability to provide the content, so that the DMP and DMS can be provided at the same time. On the other hand, since the digital frame has only the display function, it has only the DMP function. This function is determined by the manufacturer according to the characteristics of the first device 10, and the software module is mounted. As another example, the set-top box can reproduce and output the content through the IPTV connected thereto, and when the PVR (Personal Video Recorder) function for storing the IPTV broadcast is provided, it is required to be able to store the content, .

The MGW 20 is compatible with various communication interfaces provided by the plurality of first devices 10. [ That is, the MGW 20 has a communication interface for connection with a plurality of first devices 10. For example, the MGW 20 has a WiFi (Wireless-Fidelity) interface with a smart phone and a Bluetooth interface with a mobile phone , And a laptop or desktop PC with an Ethernet interface.

The MGW 20 has the same IP group as a plurality of the first devices 10 and may have a private IP allocation function for an effective network configuration. The MGW 20 acquires and collects a list (list) and meta information of contents that can be shared by a plurality of first devices 10, in addition to automatic connection to a plurality of first devices 10 connected to the MGW 20 itself. The MGW 20 periodically provides the plurality of first devices 10 with the performance information of the collected devices and the shared content information. Accordingly, the MGW 20 has a module for managing connection information and shared content related information to a plurality of first devices 10, and notifying the connection information and the shared content related information.

The MGW 20 receives and collects performance information and shared content information from a plurality of first devices 10. The collected shared content information includes a content list held by the plurality of first devices 10 and quality information of each content included in the content list. The MGW 20 receives the content from the shared first device 10 among the first devices 10 in response to the content sharing request of the shared requesting device among the plurality of first devices 10, 10) and transmits the converted content to the first requesting device (10).

The MGW 20 of the content sharing system 100 according to the first embodiment includes a first transceiver 21, a first controller 23, and a first storage 25.

The first transmission / reception unit 21 performs data transmission / reception with the plurality of first devices 10. Here, the data transmission / reception may be wire / wireless data communication.

When the physical layer connection to the first device 10 is completed through the first transceiver 21, the first controller 23 assigns an IP address to the first device 10 to transmit the IP address to the first device 10 21). Upon receiving a service connection request from the first device 10 through the first transmission / reception unit 21, the first control unit 23 transmits a device search request (Discovery-Search-Request) to the first device 10 . The first controller 23 receives the device search response (Discovery-Search-Response) according to the device search request through the first transceiver 21.

The first control unit 23 transmits a device detailed search request (Description-Request) for obtaining performance information on the plurality of first devices 10 to the plurality of first devices 10, 10 to receive a device-specific search response (Description-Response) containing performance information, respectively. The first control unit 23 stores the device detailed search response in the first storage unit 25.

The first control unit 23 transmits a content information request to the first device 10 through the first transceiver 21 and receives a content information response from the first device 10. [ The first control unit 23 stores the received content information response in the first storage unit 25. The first control unit 23 transmits the shared content information included in the content information response received from the plurality of first devices 10 to the other first device 10 through the first transceiver 21.

Then, the first control unit 23 receives a content-sharing request (Get Content Request) for the specific content among the shared content information collected from the specific first device 10 and transmits the content-sharing request to the other first device 10, And controls the first transceiver 21 to transmit the content sharing request to the first transceiver 21.

The first control unit 23 receives the content share response (Get Content Response) from the first device 10 provided with the content sharing request and transmits the content to the requested first device 10, (21). Then, the first control unit 23 controls the first transceiver 21 to receive the content from the first device 10 and transmit the content to the first device 10 requesting the sharing. On the other hand, the first control unit 23 determines whether the format of the received content matches the file format that the first device 10 can use. If the format matches, the received content is transmitted as it is. In the case of inconsistency, format conversion is performed by the media conversion function and transmitted to the first device 10 for sharing request, thereby realizing sharing of contents.

The first storage unit 25 receives and stores device detailed search responses and shared content information including performance information for a plurality of first devices 10 from the first control unit 23.

A method of sharing content between devices based on a home network according to the first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of sharing content between devices based on a home network according to the first embodiment of the present invention. For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the first 1-1 device 11 among the plurality of first devices 10 is the first device requesting the sharing, and the 1-2 device 12 is provided with the sharing request Assume the first device.

First, the 1-1 device 11 transmits the shared content information and the performance information to the MGW 20 through the connection with the MGW 20 (S40).

Next, the first-second device 12 completes the physical layer connection with the communication interface supporting wired / wireless communication with the MGW 20 after power is applied (S41). Then, the first-second device 12 is allocated a private IP address based on the MGW 20 and a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) (S42). The IP address assignment function may be embedded as a function on the MGW 20 or provided in another device (e.g., a router).

When the allocation of the IP address is completed in step S42, the first-second device 12 transmits a service connection request (Discover) to the MGW 20 (S43). At this time, the service connection request includes a participation notification message for the home network by the UPnP-based device. The service connection request transmits a Simple Service Delivery Protocol (SSDP) message to the multicast address, so that not only the MGW 20 but also the 1-1 device 11 can be received.

The MGW 20 having received the service connection request in step S43 transmits a device search request (Discovery-Search-Request) to the first-second device 12 (S44). Then, the first-second device 12 receiving the device search request transmits a device search response (Discovery-Search-Response) to the MGW 20 (S45).

Upon completion of the search for the first 1-2 device 12 in step S45, the MGW 20 transmits a device-specific search request (Description-Request) for obtaining performance information for the 1-2 device 12 1-2 device 12 (S46). In step S46, a parameter may be added to the detailed search request so as to acquire additional performance information in providing the service.

The first-second device 12 receiving the device-specific search request (Description-Request) transmits a device detailed search response (Description-Response) to the MGW 20 (S47). The device detailed search response includes performance information on the first-second device 12, such as information on hardware and software provided by the first-second device 12, control information, status information, and the like. Specifically, the hardware performance information for the first-second device 12 includes information used for reproducing and using multimedia contents such as display information, speaker information, and processing capability. The software performance information for the first-second device 12 includes information used for the content use in the first-second device 12 such as a supported multimedia codec type, an image file type, and an application software type.

Thereafter, the MGW 20 transmits a content information request to the first-second device 12, which is a command (UPnP Action) for delivering based on SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) (S48). Thus, the first-second device 12 transmits a content information response to the MGW 20 (S49).

The MGW 20 then receives the shared content information that can be shared by each device for all the first devices 10 including the first 1-1 device 11 and the first 1-2 device 12 connected thereto And transmits the collected shared content information to the plurality of first devices 10 including the 1-1 and 1-2 devices 11 and 12 (S50). Accordingly, each of the first devices 10 receiving the collected shared content information can share the content that can be shared.

The first 1-1 device 11 transmits a content share request (Get Content Request) to the MGW 20 to use the content shared by the first device 10 connected to the MGW 20 (S51).

The MGW 20 that has received the content identifies the first-second device 12 having the content and transmits a content-sharing request (Get Content Request) to the first-second device 12 having the content (S52).

When the first-second device 12 receives the content-sharing request in step S52, the MGW 20 transmits the content-sharing response (Get Content Response) to the MGW 20 (S53) -1 device 11 (S54).

Then, the first-second device 12 transmits the content held by the first device 12 to the MGW 20 (S55).

The MGW 20 determines whether the format of the content received in step S55 matches the file format that the 1-1 device 11 can use (S56).

If the determination result in step S56 is affirmative, the MGW 20 transfers the content received from the first-second device 12 to the first 1-1 device 11 as it is (S57). However, as a result of the determination in step S56, if there is a mismatch, the MGW 200 displays the content received from the first-second device 12 in the format After performing the conversion (S58), the content is shared by transmitting to the 1-1 device 11 (S59).

At this time, the shared content may be a download type content or a streaming type content.

Although the first and second devices 12 and 11 may be directly connected to each other as described above, they are transmitted through the MGW 20 in the present invention. This is because the connection between the first-second device 12 and the first-first device 11 can be performed by mutual IP addresses, but the format of the content provided by the first- It can not be guaranteed that the file format is provided in the optimum format for use in the file system 11. Therefore, the MGW 20 is provided with a media conversion function to smoothly provide the content provided by the first-second device 12 to the first-second device 11.

For example, when the first-second device 12 has a picture file of a Tagged Image File format (TIF) and the first-second device 11 has the ability to display a picture file of a JPG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format The MGW 20 converts the TIF format into a JPG and delivers the converted JPG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a home network based inter-device content sharing system 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 3, the content sharing system 200 according to the second embodiment includes a first device 10, a media gateway 20, a communication network 30, and a content providing server 40. [

The contents sharing system 200 according to the second embodiment has a network structure in which the contents sharing service of the first embodiment is extended in connection with the communication network 30. [ The content sharing system 200 is different from the content sharing system 100 of FIG. 1 in that the MGW 20 has a configuration connected to the content providing server 40 via the communication network 30, . Therefore, in the description of the contents sharing system 200 according to the second embodiment, the parts overlapping with the description according to the first embodiment will be omitted, and the MGW 20 having a configuration difference will be described And a configuration connected to the content providing server 40 will be described.

The communication network 30 performs a series of data transmission and reception operations for data transmission and information exchange between the MGW 20 and the content providing server 40. [ The communication network 30 may be an IP network that provides high-capacity data transmission / reception services and seamless data services through IP, and may be an ALL-IP network that is an IP network structure in which different networks are integrated based on IP. Also, the communication network 30 may be one of a wired communication network, a mobile communication network, a WiBro (Wireless Broadband) network, a High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) network, and a satellite communication network.

The content providing server 40 is a server that is built on the communication network 30 and has various contents, and may include at least one server. When there is a content sharing request from the MGW 20, the content providing server 40 plays a role of providing the corresponding content.

In particular, when the quality of the content held by the first device 10 shared among the plurality of first devices 10 is lower than the processing capability of the first device 10 requesting the sharing, the MGW 20 transmits a higher quality service And performs search for the same content on the communication network 30 for providing.

If the same content exists in the content providing server 40 with higher quality than the first device 10 provided with the shared service, the MGW 20 receives the content of the content providing server 40 and transmits the same to the sharing request first device 10).

2, the MGW 20 according to the second embodiment includes a first transmission / reception unit 21, a first control unit 23, and a first storage unit 25, as shown in FIG. The MGW 20 according to the second embodiment can further perform the following functions on the function of the MGW according to the first embodiment.

The first control unit 23 receives a content sharing request from the first transmitting / receiving unit 21 from the first requesting device 10 to determine whether the quality of the content of the first providing device 10 is sufficient.

If the quality of the content is insufficient, the first control unit 23 requests and receives the content from the content providing server 40 connected to the communication network 30, and transmits the received content to the first requesting device 10 The first transmission / reception unit 21 is controlled. Of course, if the quality of the content is determined to be sufficient, the first controller 23 may request the content to the first device 10 to receive the content, and then transmit the content to the first device 10 (21).

After receiving the content from the first providing device 10 or the content providing server 40, the first controlling unit 23 determines whether the format is usable in the first requesting device 10 or not.

As a result, if the content is of the same format, the first controller 23 controls the first transceiver 21 to transmit the content directly to the first device 10 requesting the sharing. However, if it is determined that the content is not in the same format, the first control unit 23 performs format conversion on the received content. The first controller 23 transmits the format-converted contents to the first device 10 through the first transceiver 21.

A home network-based content sharing method according to a second embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of sharing content between devices based on a home network according to a second embodiment of the present invention. For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the first 1-1 device 11 among the plurality of first devices 10 is the first device requesting the sharing, and the 1-2 device 12 is assumed to be the first device providing the sharing .

2, the MGW 20 establishes a connection with a plurality of first devices 10 through various communication interfaces, and performs hardware and software for a plurality of first devices 10, And acquires and collects performance information and shared content information of the device 10 including information on the software. The collected information is managed by the MGW 20.

Next, the MGW 20 transmits the shared content information periodically collected to a plurality of first devices 10 connected to the MGW 20 (S150). Next, the plurality of first devices 10 perform a content sharing request held in the first device 10 using the received shared content information. That is, the first 1-1 device 11 transmits a content sharing request to the MGW 20 (S151).

In response to the content sharing request of step S151, the MGW 20 transmits the shared content information held by the first-second device 12 to be provided with the content connected thereto and the first 1-1 device 11), and determines whether the quality of the content to be provided by the first-second device 12 is lower than the quality reproducible by the first-second device 11 (S152). For example, when a content tailored to a mobile phone screen is played back on a TV, a sufficient quality can not be guaranteed due to a problem such as resolution.

If the quality of the content is not sufficient as a result of the determination in step S152, the MGW 20 transmits a content sharing request to the content providing server 40 connected to the communication network 30 (S153) (S157, S158).

However, if it is determined in step S152 that the quality of the content is sufficient, the MGW 20 transmits a content sharing request to the first device 12, which is an existing device having the content (S154) Response, and contents (S155, S156).

The MGW 20 checks the format of the content received in step S156 or the content received in step S158 and determines whether the format is usable in the first-device 11 requesting information sharing (step S159 ).

If it is determined in step S159 that the content is of the same format, the MGW 20 transfers the content to the 1-1 device 11 as it is (S160). However, if the content is not the same format as the result of the check in step S159, the MGW 120 performs format conversion on the content received in step S156 or S158 (S161).

When the format conversion is completed, the MGW 20 transmits the converted content to the 1-1 device 11 (S162).

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a home network based inter-device content sharing system 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the contents sharing system 300 according to the third embodiment has a structure in which two home networks and a control server 50 are connected via a communication network 30.

The content sharing system 300 includes a first device 10a and a first MGW 20a connected on one home network via a communication network 30, a second device 10b connected on another home network, 2 MGW 20b, and a control server 50. [ The first device 10a and the first MGW 20a, the second device 10b and the second MGW 20b are connected to the first device 10 (FIG. 1) and the MGW 20 of FIG.

Each of the first and second MGWs 20a and 20b periodically transmits performance information of the first and second devices 10a and 10b to the plurality of first and second devices 10a and 10b connected to the first and second MGWs 20a and 20b, And transmits the information to the control server 50. Of course, each of the first and second MGWs 20a and 20b periodically collects performance information and shared content information of a plurality of first and second devices 10a and 10b connected to the first and second MGWs 20a and 20b as described in the first embodiment Can be managed.

The control server 50 collects and maintains the shared content information of the first and second devices 10a and 10b and the performance information of each device capable of sharing contents for each home network in the content sharing process between devices.

The control server 50 periodically transmits the shared content information to the first and second devices 10a and 10b via the first and second MGWs 20a and 20b of all the home networks. The control server 50 is connected to the first and second devices 10a and 10b connected on the other home network from the first and second devices 10a and 10b connected on one home network according to the collected shared content information transmission, 10b. On the other hand, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the 1-1 device 11a of the first device 10a is a sharing request device and the 1-2 device 11b of the second device 10b is a sharing device I will explain it assuming.

The control server 50 receives a content sharing request from the first 1-1 device 11a connected to one home network through the first MGW 20a and transmits the content sharing request to the second MGW 20b And transmits the content sharing request to the second-1 device 11b including the content.

Thereafter, the control server 50 receives the content sharing response from the second-1 device 11b that has received the content sharing request through the second MGW 20b, and transmits the content sharing response through the first MGW 20a To the 1-1 device 11a. The control server 50 transmits the content to the 1-1 device 11a in the same manner as the content sharing response is transmitted.

In particular, the control server 50 includes a second transmission / reception unit 51, a second control unit 53, and a second storage unit 55.

The second transceiver 51 performs data transmission / reception with the first and second MGWs 20a and 20b.

The second control unit 53 controls the second transmitting and receiving unit 51 to periodically receive the performance information and the shared content information from the first and second MGWs 20a and 20b to the first and second devices 10a and 10b, Collects the received performance information and the shared content information, and stores the collected performance information and the shared content information in the second storage unit 55.

The second control unit 53 controls the second transmitting and receiving unit 51 to transmit the shared content information periodically collected to the first and second devices 10a and 10b via the first and second MGWs 20a and 20b .

The second controller 53 controls the second transceiver 51 to receive a content sharing request from the first 1-1 device 11a connected to one home network through the first MGW 20a. The second control unit 53 controls the second transmission / reception unit 51 to transmit the content sharing request to the second-1 device 11b including the content via the second MGW 20b connected to the other home network do.

The second controller 53 controls the second transceiver 51 to receive a content share response (Get Content Response) from the second device 10b that has received the content sharing request through the second MGW 20b. The second control unit 53 controls the second transmission / reception unit 51 to transmit the content sharing response to the 1-1 device 11a via the first MGW 20a. Thereafter, the control server 50 transmits the content to the 1-1 device 11a in the same way as it transmits the content sharing response.

The second storage unit 55 stores the collected performance information and the shared content information under the control of the second control unit 53.

Meanwhile, although an example in which two home networks are connected to the contents sharing system 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, it is needless to say that two or more home networks may be connected.

A method of sharing content between devices based on a home network according to a third embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of sharing content between devices based on a home network according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

First, the first and second MGWs 20a and 20b perform performance information about the first and second devices 10a and 20b and the shared content information about the first and second devices 10a and 20b through various wired / wireless interfaces, as in steps S40 to S49 of FIG. .

The first and second MGWs 20a and 20b respectively transmit the performance information on the first device 10a and the second device 10b that they can manage to the control server 50 respectively (S260a, S260b).

The control server 50 is connected to the first and second devices 10a and 10b connected to the respective MGWs 20a and 20b through first and second MGWs 20a and 20b connected to different home networks The collected shared content information is periodically transmitted (S261).

The first 1-1 device 11a connected to one home network uses the received content list to transmit a content sharing request for the second-first device 11b connected on another home network to its home network The first MGW 20a transmits the received content sharing request to the control server 50 (S262).

The control server 250 transmits the received content sharing request to the second-1 device 11b via the MGW 20b located on another home network (S263).

When the second-level device 11b receiving the content sharing request transmits the content sharing response to the second MGW 220b in step S263, the MGW 220b transmits the response to the control server 50 (S264).

The control server 50 transmits the content sharing response to the first 1-1 device 11a requesting the content through the first MGW 20a located on the home network requesting the content (S265).

Thereafter, when the content held by the second-first device 11b is transmitted to the control server 50 via the second MGW 20b (S266), the control server 50 stores the content received in the step S266 1 MGW 20a (S267).

The first MGW 20a determines whether the format of the content received in step S267 matches the file format used by the 1-1 device 11a (S268). If the result of the judgment in step S268 is affirmative, the first MGW 20a transfers the content received from the second-first device 11b to the first-device 11a as it is (S269). However, if it is determined in step S268 that the first MGW 20a does not coincide with the first MGW 20a, the first MGW 20a may display the content received from the second device 11b on the first device 11a After the format conversion is performed by the media conversion function (S270), the content is shared with the 1-1 device (11a) (S271).

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a home network based inter-device content sharing system 400 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 7, the content sharing system 400 according to the fourth embodiment includes a first device 10a and a first MGW 20a connected to one home network via a communication network 30, A second device 10b and a second MGW 20b, a content providing server 40 and a control server 50 connected to the home network.

Since the content sharing system 400 according to the fourth embodiment has the same configuration as the content sharing system 300 (FIG. 5) according to the third embodiment except that it further includes the content providing server 40, The server 40 will be mainly described.

The control server 50 receives the content sharing request of the 1-1 device 11a via the first MGW 20a and stores the shared content information held by the 2-1 device 11b to be provided with content And compares performance information of the 1-1 device (11a) that will use this content. That is, the control server 50 determines whether the quality of the content to be provided by the second-first device 11b is lower than the quality reproducible by the first-second device 11a.

If the quality of the content is not sufficient as a result of the determination, the control server 50 transmits a content sharing request to the content providing server 40 connected to the communication network 30 to receive the content sharing response and the content. On the other hand, if the quality of the content is sufficient, the control server 50 transmits a content sharing request to the second-first device 11b to receive the content sharing response and the content.

The control server 50 transmits the returned content to the first MGW 20a connected to the 1-1 device 11a.

Accordingly, the first MGW 20a judges whether the format of the received content agrees with the file format available to the 1-1 device 11a.

As a result of the determination, if they match, the first MGW 20a transfers the content received from the second-first device 11b to the first-second device 11a. On the other hand, if the first MGW 20a does not match, the first MGW 20a performs format conversion by the media conversion function so that the first device 11a can display the received content, To implement content sharing.

A method of sharing content between devices based on a home network according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. Here, FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a content sharing method between devices based on a home network according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

First, steps S360 to S361 are performed in the same manner as steps S260 to S261 of FIG. That is, the 1-1 device 11a connected to one home network uses the received content list to transmit a content sharing request for the 2-1 device 11b connected on another home network to its home network The first MGW 20a transmits the received content sharing request to the control server 50 (S362).

In response to the content sharing request of step S362, the control server 50 transmits the shared content information held by the second-1 device 11b for providing the content linked to the content to the first 1-1 device And compares the performance information of the first device 11a with the quality of the content to be provided by the second device 11b (S363).

If the quality of the content is not sufficient as a result of the determination in step S363, the control server 50 transmits a content sharing request to the content providing server 40 connected to the communication network 30 (S364) (S368, S369).

However, if it is determined in step S363 that the quality of the content is sufficient, the control server 50 transmits a content sharing request to the second device 11b, which is an existing device that holds the content (S365) And receives the shared response and the contents (S366, S367).

The control server 50 transmits the contents received in the step S367 or S369 to the first MGW 20a connected to the 1-1 device 11a in step S370.

The first MGW 20a determines whether the format of the content received in step S370 matches the file format used by the 1-1 device 11a (S371). If it is determined in step S371 that the contents match, the first MGW 20a transmits the content received from the second-1 device 11b to the first-device 11a (S372). However, as a result of the determination in step S371, if the first MGW 20a does not match, the first MGW 20a performs the media conversion function so that the first-device 11a can display the content received from the second- (S373). To the 1-1 device 11a (S374), thereby sharing the contents.

The present invention can also be embodied as computer-readable codes on a computer-readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording apparatuses in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include a ROM, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device and the like, and also implemented in the form of a carrier wave (for example, transmission over the Internet) .

The computer-readable recording medium may also be injected into a networked computer system so that computer readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner. And functional programs, codes, and code segments for implementing the present invention can be easily inferred by programmers skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. I will understand. Accordingly, the true scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of the appended claims.

According to the home network based inter-device contents sharing system and method of the present invention, it is possible to effectively share contents among devices having different communication interfaces and process different data formats on one home network, It is possible to provide a sharing technique for content on the network that is optimized and provided.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a home network based inter-device content sharing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of sharing content between devices based on a home network according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a block diagram illustrating a home network based inter-device content sharing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a content sharing method between devices based on a home network according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a home network based inter-device content sharing system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of sharing content between devices based on a home network according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a home network based inter-device content sharing system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of sharing content between devices based on a home network according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Description of the Related Art [0002]

10, 10a: first device 10b: second device

20: Media gateway (MGW) 30: Communication network

40: content providing server 50: control server

100, 200, 300, 400: Content Sharing System

Claims (15)

delete A first transmitting and receiving unit for transmitting and receiving data to and from a plurality of devices; And Receiving and collecting performance information and shareable content information each of which can be shared from the plurality of devices through the first transceiver, transmitting the collected shared content information to the plurality of devices, Receiving a content sharing request, requesting and receiving the specific content from the device storing the specific content, and transmitting the request to the specific device, wherein the quality of the received specific content is processed according to performance information of the specific device A first controller for requesting and receiving a specific content corresponding to the performance information to the content providing server when the content is lower than the capability and transmitting the specific content received from the content providing server to the specific device; Wherein the media gateway is a media gateway of a home network based inter-device content sharing system. A second transceiver for performing data transmission / reception with a plurality of media gateways that share contents among a plurality of devices and constitute different home networks; And Receiving and collecting performance information and shareable shared content information of the plurality of devices connected to each of the media gateways from the plurality of media gateways through the second transceiver and collecting the collected shared content information from the plurality of media gateways When receiving a request for sharing a specific content from a specific device connected to a specific media gateway among the plurality of media gateways, transmitting the specific content to a device of another media gateway storing the specific content Requesting the specific content to the specific device, and transmitting the specific content to the specific device. If the received specific content is lower in quality than the performance information of the specific device, the specific content corresponding to the performance information is requested to the content providing server A second control unit for transmitting the specific content received from the content providing server to the specific device via the specific media gateway after receiving the specific content; Based content sharing system of a home network. Receiving and collecting performance information and shareable shared content information from a plurality of devices, and transmitting the collected shared content information to the plurality of devices; Requesting and receiving the specific content from the device among the plurality of devices storing the specific content when the media gateway receives a request for sharing a specific content from the specific device among the plurality of devices; Requesting and receiving the specific content corresponding to the processing capability of the specific device to the content providing server when the quality of the specific content received by the media gateway is lower than the processing capability according to the performance information of the specific device; And Transmitting, by the media gateway, the received specific content to the specific device; Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 1, < / RTI > delete delete delete delete delete delete 5. The method of claim 4, The step of requesting and receiving the specific content corresponding to the processing capability Wherein the media gateway receives the specific content from the content providing server via a control server connected via a communication network. 5. The method of claim 4, After requesting and receiving the specific content corresponding to the processing capability, Wherein the media gateway transmits the specific content to the specific device without format conversion if the received specific content is in a format suitable for the performance information of the specific device. 5. The method of claim 4, Wherein the collected performance information includes at least one of display information of the plurality of devices, supportable multimedia codec type, image file type, speaker information, processing capability, and application software type, Wherein the collected shared content information includes a content list held by the plurality of devices and quality information of each content included in the content list. A control server receives and collects performance information and shareable shared content information of a plurality of devices connected to each of the media gateways from a plurality of media gateways and collects the collected shared content information through the plurality of media gateways Transmitting to the device; When the control server receives a sharing request of a specific content included in the collected shared content information from a specific device connected to a specific media gateway among the plurality of media gateways, Requesting and receiving; Requesting and receiving the specific content corresponding to the processing capability of the specific device to the content providing server when the quality of the specific content received by the control server is lower than the processing capability according to the performance information of the specific device; And Transmitting, by the control server, the specific content received from the content providing server to the specific device via the specific media gateway; Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 1, < / RTI > delete

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