KR20050015528A - Channel information synchronizing method and system for universal plug and play network - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method and a system for synchronizing channel information of a UPnP(Universal Plug and Play)-based network are provided to pass over channel information where VTOMs(Virtual Tuner Object Managers) are arrayed to a CP(Control Point) to enable a user to sequentially select channels, thereby improving user convenience while realizing smooth communication between the CP and a driver. CONSTITUTION: A CP(110) requests a media server(120) to transmit channel information by using a UPnP command. The media server(120) requests a VTOM(150) to send available channel information. The VTOM(150) requests a TV driver(170) and a radio driver(160) to send the available channel information. The VTOM(150) writes the available channel information in XML document type, and transmits the channel information to the media server(120). The CP(110) stores the available channel information in a DB.

Description

CHANNEL INFORMATION SYNCHRONIZING METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR UNIVERSAL PLUG AND PLAY NETWORK}

The present invention relates to network technology, and more particularly, to a method and system for synchronizing channel information of a UPnP-based network.

Recently, as computing power is applied to small and various devices, cheap and universal networking media technologies are emerging or commercialized. For example, a variety of devices such as refrigerators, TVs, washing machines, PCs, and audio devices used in homes are connected by networking and given the computing power, so that they can be easily used and set up so that people can enjoy a higher quality of life. It became possible.

For this purpose, the Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) function has been proposed.

Since the Plug and Play (PnP) feature has been added to the current operating system, installing and configuring PC peripherals has become much easier, but UPnP has built this complete functionality based on Internet standard technologies such as TCP / IP, HTTP and XML. It extends to networks, enabling network devices such as home appliances, network printers, and Internet gates to be networking, especially home networking.

The UPnP network is composed of a device, a service, and a control point (CP).

The device includes a service and various accessory devices. For example, the VCR device includes a tape moving service, a tuner service, a time service, and the like.

The service refers to the smallest small control unit on the network, and the service itself is modeled through a state variable.

The CP (control point) refers to a controller having a function of detecting and controlling other devices.

The current UPnP AV architecture specification includes a control point (CP), a media server (MS) for storing content useful for a home network, and a media renderer (MR) for providing content through a home network. do.

In order to inform the control point CP of the directory information, the media server MS informs the media file of the media file using the direct file system whenever there is an action.

UPnP Content Directory: The property table for Radio broadcast and Video broadcast is listed in the property table of Appendix B of the 1 specification, and audio broadcast: audioItem and videoBroadcast: are provided in sections 7.1.2 and 7.2.2 of Appendix C. The definition of the videoItem class is shown. This means providing a tuner service.

However, in the related art, only a matter of providing the tuner service is presented, and there is no mention of how to provide the tuner service.

However, in order to watch TV broadcast or radio broadcast using the UPnP media server MS, the control point CP should be able to know which broadcast is currently received.

Therefore, in order to solve the conventional problem, the media server (MS) informs the control point (CP) of channel information so that a user can enjoy not only a media file but also a TV or radio broadcast. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and system for synchronizing channel information of a UPnP-based network.

In particular, the present invention is implemented to share media information obtained from a file system and effective channel information received from a TV driver and a radio driver in a content directory service.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a Content Directory Service (UPDP) method of a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) -based network system, wherein a control point (CP) is assigned to a UPnP command in response to a user's request for tuner information. Requesting tuner information to a media server (MS), requesting effective channel information to the virtual tuner object manager (VTOM) from the media server (MS), and the virtual tuner object management module Requesting valid channel information to a TV driver and a radio driver; and creating, by the virtual tuner object management module, an effective document information as an XML document and delivering the generated channel information to the media server (MS). And the control point CP database the effective channel information transmitted from the media server MS. Characterized by performing the steps provided to.

When the virtual tuner object management module recognizes an initial browse action for a specific input, the virtual tuner object management module collects valid channel information from a real driver and delivers it to the media server (MS) as an XML document, and recognizes the browse action for simple input change. When the currently stored channel information is transmitted to the media server (MS) as an XML document and recognized as a browse action for channel search, effective channel information is collected from the real driver to update the currently stored channel information, and the collected channel information. It is characterized in that the configuration to perform the process of delivering to the media server (MS) as an XML document.

The process of collecting effective channel information of the virtual tuner object management module (VTOM) is a process of creating meta data of a container related to a virtual function not provided by an actual driver as an XML document when the channel information request is recognized as a browse action. And adding metadata of each child object of the container related to the function to the XML document, and adding metadata of each item of the child objects to the XML document.

The browse action for requesting the channel information is defined as a Set command (SetChannelSearchCapability) to the content directory service, and includes a argument including a ChannelSearchCap and a variable including a value indicating whether to allow the channel information.

If the control point CP does not support a tree-type user interface, the control point CP sequentially performs a process of displaying the lower items in correspondence with the selection of the upper items in the aligned channel information in the virtual tuner object management module VTOM. Characterized in that configured to.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a block diagram of a system for an embodiment of the present invention, as shown therein, and a media renderer 130 for playing files such as video, audio, and the like, and browsing of a Content Directory Service. The media server 120 collects media file information and tuner information using an action, and manages and controls the media server 120 and the media renderer 130. The UPnP command for collecting media file information and tuner information is controlled. A control point 110 which transmits the media file information and the tuner information transmitted to the media server 120 and the media server 120 to the user through a UI, and a file system for providing the content file information. 140 and the radio driver 160 when the media server 120 requests the content directory service as a browse action. And a virtual tuner object manager (VTOM) 150 for requesting valid channel information from the driver 170 and writing corresponding channel information in an XML document to the media server 120. To configure.

Referring to the operation and effect of the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above are as follows.

In general, for watching TV broadcast or listening to radio broadcast, a desired channel is selected using a tuner.

Many types of inputs may be provided in a physical device called a TV or radio.

For example, in the case of a TV, input types may be divided such as airwaves, external inputs 1, 2, ..., and in the case of radio, input types may be divided such as FM1, 2, .., AM.

If a state in which different broadcasts are input to each input of the TV or radio is represented by a tree structure, it is illustrated in FIG. 3.

In an embodiment of the present invention, in providing a content directory service (hereinafter, referred to as CDS), the media server 120 does not simply search the file system 140 to obtain file information. The action is transmitted to obtain tuner information such as input information and channel information available from the TV driver 170 or the radio driver 160 through the virtual tuner object management module 150.

Accordingly, the content directory structure obtained by the control point 110 when the media server 120 provides the tuner function is the same as the example of FIGS. 2 and 3.

In Fig. 2, because a container called a tuner is not present in the file system 140, the UPnP action for calling a browse (Flag = BrowserDirectChildren) action whose objectID starts with '0' at the control point 110 is shown. When this occurs, the media server 120 first searches the file system 140 to create an XML document, and then searches the virtual tuner object management module 150 to create container information having a title of "tuner". In addition to the XML document to inform the control point (110).

That is, in the embodiment of the present invention, a virtual tuner object manager (VTOM) 150 is provided to add information of an object that does not actually exist in the file system to the XML document.

The role of the virtual tuner object management module 150 is to create a directory related to a tuner that does not actually exist in the file system 140 to create the tuner container structure 210 of FIG. 2 when a browser action is invoked.

An operation principle of the virtual tuner object management module 150 will be described with reference to the operation flowchart of FIG. 4.

First, if the object identifier (ObjectId) is '0' and the browse flag is BrowseMetadata, the virtual tuner object management module 150 creates metadata of the root object as XML. Return to media server 120.

In addition, when the object identifier (ObjectId) is '0' and the browse flag (BrowseFlag) is 'BrowseDirectChildren', the virtual tuner object management module 150 corresponds to 'tuner' which is a dotted line portion 210 in the example of FIG. Writes metadata about the container in XML and adds it to the browse output.

In addition, when browsing based on a tuner, when the browse flag (BrowseFlag) is 'BrowseDirectChildren', information about the container corresponding to the TV as shown in FIG. 3 (a) and the radio corresponding to the radio as shown in FIG. 3 (b) ( Make metadata into XML and add it to the browse output.

In the same way, if you browse based on TV (Flag = BrowseDirectChildren), the information (metadata) of the children (child objects) contained in the TV container is created in XML, and if you browse based on the radio (Flag = BrowseDirectChildren), XML of the input (child object) contained in the container will be made.

In the case of browsing (Flag = BrowseDirectChildren) based on the input container, information about an item is added to the XML. To this end, the virtual tuner object management module 150 requests the TV driver 170 and the radio driver 160 for an auto channel search function. The drivers 160 and 170 transmit valid channel information to the virtual tuner object management module 150 so that each channel information can be made into XML.

However, in the system of FIG. 1, when browsing based on a specific input to obtain currently available channel information, it is unreasonable to always request valid channel information to the drivers 160 and 170. For example, if the user simply keeps changing the 'input', it means that the drivers 160 and 170 waste time in order to continuously obtain valid channel information.

Therefore, when a UPnP action for a browse action call is generated from the control point (CP) 110 to the media server (MS) 120, it is a browse action that seeks to respond by searching for a channel having good reception sensitivity. Or you just need to distinguish whether you want to use a list of existing channels.

The ChannelSearchCap value is used to inform the virtual tuner object management module 150 of this.

That is, in the system of FIG. 1, when searching for a valid channel at the control point 110 without changing the browse action definition defined in the specification, the channel search cap value is passed as 'yes' and the browse action is called. Otherwise, pass the ChannelSearchCap value to 'no' and pass it first, then invoke the browse action.

Looking at the operation process by case (case) as follows. Here, the operation of the media server 120 will be omitted.

As a first type, if there is no channel value currently stored in the virtual tuner object management module 150, the virtual tuner object management module 150 may include a driver 160, even if the control point 110 does not require valid channel information. A valid channel is retrieved from 170 and informed to the control point 110.

That is, in the first type, when the control point 110 first generates a browse action for a specific input, the virtual tuner object management module 150 requests channel information from the drivers 160 and 170, and the drivers 160 and 170 When the effective channel information is obtained and transmitted to the virtual tuner object management module 150, the virtual tuner object management module 150 performs the process of creating an effective channel value in XML and transmitting the same to the control point 110.

As a second type, when channel information is requested after receiving a channelsearchCap value as 'no', the virtual tuner object management module 150 passes the currently stored value to the control point 110.

That is, in the second type, when the control point 110 passes the ChannelSearchCap value to the virtual tuner object management module 150 as 'no' and issues a browse command, the virtual tuner object management module 150 is currently stored. The process of transmitting the channel value in XML to the control point 110 is performed.

As a third type, when the control point 110 first sends the channelsearchCap value as 'yes' and sends a browse action, the driver 160 or 170 selects only the channel having the best reception sensitivity and then the control point ( 110).

That is, in the third type, when the control point 110 calls the browse command after passing the ChannelSearchCap value to 'yes' to the virtual tuner object management module 150, the virtual tuner object management module 150 is currently stored. When the channel information is requested to the drivers 160 and 170 to update the channel information, and the drivers 160 and 170 obtain valid channel information and transmit the valid channel information to the virtual tuner object management module 150, the virtual tuner object management module ( 150 performs the process of making the effective channel information to the XML to the control point (110).

Meanwhile, in order to set the ChannelSearchCap value at the control point 110, a new action is added to the CDS. The action name is SetChannelSearchCapability, the required argument is ChannelSearchCap, and the variable is defined as A_ARG_TYPE_CH_Search. The variable includes a data type, an allowable value, and the like. The structure of this new action is the same as that of FIG.

Therefore, the ChannelSearchCap value is transmitted to the media server 120 by the action of SetChannelSearchCapability.

However, in general, the tuner allows a user to select a desired channel while increasing or decreasing the channel one by one each time the user presses a channel button to select a channel to be viewed.

To do this, the user must select a tuner at the desired control point (CP) and select the desired input.

That is, whenever an arbitrary control point CP is selected among the plurality of control points CP, a browse (BrowseDirectChildren) is performed with "Tuner" as a parent and the selectable input list is found. If you select 'input' in CP, you have to browse to the selected input as a parent and find a list of selectable channels.

The reference channel value is represented by a user interface (CP UI) method of the control point. This is to set a large channel value or a low channel value based on an arbitrary channel.

To this end, the virtual tuner object management module 150 passes the aligned channel information to the control point 110.

FIG. 7 illustrates a result of displaying a tuner and an input based on channel information illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 when the control point 110 does not provide a tree-type directory user interface (UI). An illustration of the.

7 shows a selectable tuner value (TV, Radio) when the user selects a tuner, and selectable input values (airwave, external inputs 1 and 2) when the user selects the TV. When the 'airwave' is selected, the selectable channels TVCH1 to TVCH4 are displayed to finally select the channel TVCH2.

As described in detail above, the present invention may inform the control point CP of channel information provided by the tuner using the virtual tuner object management module in the content directory service (CDS). In this case, the virtual tuner directory management module notifies the file system by requiring the virtual tuner directory management module to notify the directory structure of the channel provided by the tuner, just as the file system informs the control point (CP) of the directory structure.

Therefore, the present invention adds a new action named SetChannelSearchCapability to the existing specification, so that the virtual tuner object management module requests a channel list from the driver to obtain valid channel information when a browse action is received without affecting the existing CDS specification. You can speed up your response to browse actions by reducing the number of cases.

In addition, the present invention improves user convenience by allowing the virtual tuner object management module to pass the sorted channel information to the control point and sequentially select the channel even when the control point CP does not have a UI shown in a tree structure. It is effective to let. As a result, the virtual tuner object management module provides an interface that facilitates communication between the control point (CP) and the driver.

1 is a block diagram of a tuner information synchronization system for an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an exemplary diagram of a content directory structure collected in the virtual tuner object management module of Figure 1;

3 is an exemplary diagram of a channel information structure of the content directory of FIG.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of obtaining tuner information according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a signal flow diagram illustrating a response process to a browse action in FIG.

6 is an exemplary view of a browse action structure for an embodiment of the present invention.

7 is an exemplary diagram of one scheme for providing channel information in an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

110: control point (CP) 120: media server (MS)

130: Media Renderer (MR) 140: File System

150: virtual tuner object management module (VTOM)

160: Radio Driver 170: TV Driver

Claims (12)

In the UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) based Content Directory Service method, And collecting channel information by using a browse action at an arbitrary control point. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting channel information Collecting valid channel information from a real driver if it is recognized as a channel search for any input; Method for synchronizing the channel information of the IP-based network, characterized in that the process of collecting the previously searched channel information when it is recognized by a plurality of input switching. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting channel information Method of synchronizing the channel information of the IP-based network comprising the step of automatically collecting the effective channel information from the real driver when switching to a new input. 4. The method of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein collecting channel information is A method of synchronizing channel information in a UF-based network, comprising using a virtual object manager. The method of claim 4, wherein the virtual object management module Creating the XML document of the container's metadata associated with the function, Adding metadata for each child object of the container associated with the feature to the XML document, And adding metadata of each item among the child objects to an XML document. The method of claim 1, wherein when a tree type user interface is not supported for the control point CP, the upper level information is sequentially displayed based on the sorting form in the virtual object management module, and the selection of the upper level information is supported. And displaying the corresponding sub-information to perform channel information synchronization of the UF-based network. In the UPnP-based system that provides a content directory service (Content Directory Service), When the browse action for requesting channel information occurs, UPI-based is characterized by comprising a virtual object manager (Virtual Object Manager) that collects the channel information from the real driver and delivers it to the control point (CP) Channel information synchronization system of the network. The method of claim 7, wherein the virtual object management module And the channel information is added to the media file information obtained from the file system. The method of claim 7, wherein the virtual tuner object management module A channel information synchronization system of a UF-based network, characterized in that it is configured to request valid channel information from a real driver only when it is recognized as a switch to an added input or channel search. The method of claim 7, wherein the virtual object management module And a channel information synchronization system of the UF-based network, which is configured to transmit currently stored channel information when it is recognized as a switch for a plurality of inputs. The virtual object management module according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein Selecting any channel even in a control point that does not support a tree-type user interface by configuring to provide channel information sequentially arranged from upper information to lower information so that corresponding lower information is displayed in response to an arbitrary upper information selection. A system for synchronizing channel information of a UPI-based network, characterized by facilitating this. 11. The channel information synchronization system according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the channel information is written in an XML document.