KR20070048449A - Digital living network alliance home network system and method for sharing content information thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a digital living network alliance (DLNA) home network system and a method of sharing content information of the system, and to provide a device supporting each content with information of a content item selected by a user and content whose playback is stopped. It is for.

Description

DLINA home network system and content information sharing method of the system {DIGITAL LIVING NETWORK ALLIANCE HOME NETWORK SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SHARING CONTENT INFORMATION THEREOF}

1 is a diagram illustrating a hierarchy of a digital living network alliance (DLNA).

2 is a diagram illustrating a connection configuration of a DLNA home network system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3A and 3B illustrate a content information message according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for sharing content information in a DLNA home network system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

100: DMS (Digital Media Server)

200: DMR (Digital Media Renderer)

300: DMP (Digital Media Player)

400: M-NCF (Mobile-Network Connectivity Function)

500: CP (Control Point)

The present invention relates to a DLNA home network system and a method for sharing content information of the system.

Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) is the successor to the DHWG (Digital Home Working Group). TV, audio, DVD player, etc.).

Currently, DLNA is based on Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP) technology and includes standardization of physical media, network transmission, media formats, streaming protocols, and digital right management (DRM).

The layer of such a DLNA will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, DLNA is divided into six layers.

The network connection layer uses standards such as 802.3i and 802.3u for wired connection and 802.11a / b / g for wireless connection.

The network stack layer uses the IPv4 protocol.

The media transport layer uses HTTP 1.0 / 1.1.

The device discovery, control and media management layer uses UPnP AV 1.0 and UPnP Device Architecture 1.0.

The media format layer uses Image, Audio, and Audio / Video (A / V).

As mentioned above, DLNA is based on UPnP, a middleware using protocols such as IP, TCP, UDP, HTTP, XML, etc., and enables command and control between devices on a network independently of a specific operating system, programming language, and media. It has the characteristic to

The UPnP AV standard defines a connection manager service, a rendering control service, an AV transport service, and a content directory service.

The connection management service allows the control point to use and manage the relationship between the source of the content and the sink in selecting the format and protocol.

Here, the control point represents a device having the ability to search for and control other devices.

In addition, the connection management service does not care if the control point does not know the physical connection technology, and allows the control point to select a source and the sink to play that source.

The rendering control service controls the sound and image characteristics. The rendering control service provides a function for adjusting configuration attributes that affect content playback provided by most playback devices.

The AV transport service controls playback and recording. The AV transport service provides a mechanism for the control point to control the transmission of audio and video streams through operations such as play, stop, pause, and so on.

The content directory service is a service that shows content and metadata leases.

The content directory service is a service used by control points to retrieve and store audio and video content.

The content directory can list many media types, such as songs in an MP3 player, slides consisting of still images, movies in a DVD-juke box, TV schedules, and so on.

In such a DLNA home network, a control point uses a content directory service among UPnP services to search for contents stored in devices included in a DLNA home network system to form an item list.

Let's take a closer look at this.

The control point requests a content search to a media server of a DLNA home network system using a content directory service to construct a content item list.

The media server constructs a result set of a content item list in a predefined format by using an object creation action (CreatObject action) according to the control point content retrieval request, and transmits the content item list result set to the control point. .

Here, the content item list represents a list of items of contents included in the media server.

The control point configures and outputs the content item list received from the media server as a user interface.

The control point transmits a list of one or more content items selected by the user from the content item list to the media server with an object creation argument along with a container ID for creating an object.

Here, the container ID indicates an ID of a container including an object to be created in the media server.

The media server generates a playlist file according to the container ID received from the control point, and transmits the generated playlist file to the control point.

The control point, on the other hand, represents a device having the ability to search for and control other devices, as described above.

The control point may be included in a portable device (eg, a remote controller) supporting mobility for free control and management of a user, or in a device connected to other devices in a home network by wire.

In this DLNA home network system, the contents are scattered among various media servers. Accordingly, a device including a control point may generate a playlist file using contents included from various media servers in a DLNA home network system and provide the same to a user.

However, since the content item list selected by the user is not shared to other devices including the control point, another device including the control point needs to reconstruct the content item list for the content scattered among the various media servers. Occurs.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a DLNA home network system and a method for sharing content information of the system, which allow a content item list to be shared with each other.

In order to achieve the above object, a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) home network system including one or more devices that each play content in different formats according to an aspect of the present invention stores one or more contents and stores a content search request message. One or more media servers that provide a list of content items for the one or more content as received; And transmitting a content search request message to at least one of the one or more media servers and including at least one selected content item from the received list of content items in a content information message to support playback of the selected one or more contents. One or more media players for transmitting to the device.

The one or more media players identify each device that supports playback of the selected one or more content prior to sending the content information message to each device.

The content information message includes a field indicating whether the selected one or more content items are included.

The one or more media players play the one or more contents according to the request to play the one or more contents items in the contents item list, stop the playing of the contents according to the stop request of the contents being played, and The information is included in the content reproduction stop information message and transmitted to one or more devices that support reproduction of the content in which reproduction is stopped.

The information on the content at which the playback is stopped includes at least one of the stopped content data and a stop position of the reproduced content.

The media player identifies each device that supports playback of the content where the playback is stopped before sending the content stop information message to each device.

The content playback stop information message includes a field indicating whether information of the content where the playback is stopped is included.

Content information of a DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) home network system including at least one media server, at least one media player, and at least one device for playing contents of different formats, respectively, according to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object. The sharing method includes the steps of: transmitting, by the one or more media players, a content search request message to at least one of the one or more media servers; Providing, by at least one media server of the one or more media servers, a content item list for one or more different formats of content stored as the content search request message is received; And including, by the one or more media players, one or more content items selected by the user from the received content item list in a content information message and transmitting the included one or more content items to each device supporting reproduction of the selected one or more contents.

The content information sharing method according to the present invention further includes the step of identifying each device that supports playback of the selected one or more contents before the one or more media players transmit the content information message to each device. .

The method for sharing content information according to the present invention may include: playing, by the one or more media players, the one or more contents according to a request for playing one or more contents items in the contents item list; And at least one media player that stops playback of the content according to a stop request of the content being played and includes information of the content on which the playback is stopped in a content stop information message to support playback of the content that has been stopped. And transmitting to the device.

The information on the content at which the playback is stopped includes at least one of content data at which the playback is stopped and a stop position of the reproduced content.

The method for sharing content information according to the present invention may include identifying each device that supports reproduction of the stopped content before the at least one media player transmits the content stop information message to each device. It includes more.

Hereinafter, a DLNA home network system and a method of sharing content information of the system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In addition, it should be noted that the same reference numerals are given to the same elements, although belonging to different drawings for convenience of understanding.

2 is a diagram illustrating a network connection configuration of a DLNA home network system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the DLNA home network system includes a media server 100 (hereinafter referred to as "DMS") 100 and a media renderer (hereinafter referred to as "DMR") 200. , A digital player (hereinafter referred to as a "DMP") 300, an M-NCF 400, and the like.

Here, in FIG. 2, only one component is shown for each component.

In a UPNAP-based DLNA home network system, a device class is set for each device. Components shown in FIG. 2 are classified and named according to the device class.

Device classes are classified according to what functions they support regardless of their physical characteristics, and a device may belong to several device classes because a device may provide various functions.

The DMS 100 has a UPnP media server containing one or more contents and provides the contents on a DLNA home network.

The DMR 200 plays the content received from the DLNA home network.

Mobile-Network Connectivity Function (M-NCF) 400 relays network connections between wireless devices such as mobile phones and wired devices such as DVD players.

The DMP 300 selects content on the DLNA home network and plays the selected media. That is, the DMP 300 has a combination of the functions of the DMR 200 and the CP 500.

Therefore, hereinafter, the description of the CP 500 will be included in the description of the operation of the DMP (300).

The DMP 300 retrieves the contents stored in the devices and outputs the configured content list to the user interface, and includes the content list selected by the user in the content list in a content information message and provides the same to a device that can play the content. .

Here, before transmitting the content information message, the DMP 300 must complete a search for a device capable of playing the content selected by the user.

In addition, a diagram illustrating such a content information message is illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the content information message according to the present invention includes an IPv4, an IPv6 header field 10, a Routing A header field 12, a classification header field 14, and a data field 16.

The IPv4 and IPv6 header fields 10 are fields indicating transmission / reception addresses of content information messages. Here, the transmission / reception address of the content information message may be any one of an IPv4 address format and an IPv6 address format.

The Routing A header field 12 is a field including routing information on a path on which a content information message is to be transmitted. Routing information included in this Routing A header field is set at the transmitting side.

The Classification header field 14 is a field for indicating whether the data included in the data field 16 is a content list selected by the user.

This Classification header field 14 is configured as shown in FIG. 3B.

Description of each field illustrated in FIG. 3B is shown in Table 1 below.

Field Size (Bits) Description Next Header 8 Type of header located immediately after the Classification Header Header Length 8 Length of Classification Header Protocol 8 Type of protocol header located after classification header F One Indicator indicating whether the message containing the classification header is a fragment packet Control bits 6 Control Bits value of TCP header Reserved One Reserved Source Port 16 Source port of TCP header Destination port 16 Destination port of TCP header

The data field 16 includes a content list selected by the user.

On the other hand, the device supporting the reproduction of the content selected by the user examines the Protocol field in the Classification Header field included in the content information message received from the DMP 300, and the Protocol field is selected by the user in the data field 16. When the content list is included, the content list selected by the user included in the data field of the content information message is parsed and stored.

Here, when the Protocol field is "00000001", it may represent that the data field 16 includes a content list selected by the user.

When any content that is being played in the content list selected by the user is stopped, the DMP 300 includes the content information that has been stopped in the content playback stop information message and transmits the content to the device supporting the playback of the stopped content. .

Here, for example, when the content where playback is stopped is a music file in MP3 format, the stopped content information included in the content playback stop information message includes music file data (content data) and a stopped position (position where playback is stopped). And the like.

The content playback stop message has the same format as the content information message as shown in FIG. 3A.

Meanwhile, the content reproduction stop message includes the stopped content information in the data field of the content information message, unlike the selected content item in the data field of the content information message shown in FIG. 3A.

The device supporting the reproduction of the paused content examines the Protocol field of the Classification Header field included in the content information message received from the DMP 300, and the Protocol field includes the stopped content information in the data field shown in FIG. 3A. In the case where it is included, the stopped content information included in the data field of the content information message is parsed and stored.

Here, when the Protocol field is "00000010", it may represent that the data field 16 includes the stopped content information.

By doing so, the user can play the stopped content using the device storing the stopped content information.

In this case, the device for playing the content stopped by the user may be a DMP or a DMR.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for sharing content information in a DLNA home network system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Media player 420 corresponds to DMP 300 of FIG. 2, and media server 422 corresponds to DMS 100 of FIG. 2. Accordingly, the media flare 420 includes the functions of the DMR 200 and the CP 500 of FIG. 2, similar to the DMP 300 of FIG. 2.

When a search command for content stored in the media server 422 is input from the user (S400), the media player 420 generates a browse message for searching for content stored in the media server 422 to the media server 422. It transmits (S402).

In this case, the search command of the user's content may be performed for only one media server or simultaneously for one or more media servers.

For convenience of explanation of the present invention, only one media server 422 of a user's content search command is assumed.

As the browse message is received from the media player 420, the media server 422 constructs a content item list result set for all the media format contents stored using the content directory service, and sets the configured content item list result set in the media player. In step 420, and transmits to (420).

The media player 420 configures and displays the content item list result set received from the media server 422 as a user interface (S406).

When one or more content lists are selected by the user among the content item lists displayed through the user interface, the media player 420 includes the selected content list in the content information message of the format shown in FIG. 3A to play the corresponding content. The device 424 may transmit to the device 424 (S410).

Here, the device 424 may be any one of the DMR 200 and the DMP 300 as shown in FIG. 2.

The media flare 420 must complete the search for the device capable of playing the content selected by the user before step S410 before transmitting the content information message.

The device 424 examines the Protocol field of the Classification Header field included in the content information message received from the media player 420 and includes it in the data field of the content information message if the Protocol field indicates that the selected content list is included. The content list selected by the user is parsed and stored (S412).

On the other hand, when there is a playback command for any content in the content list selected by the user (S414), the media player 420 plays the corresponding content (S414).

Thereafter, the media player 420 stops the playback of the arbitrary content according to the playback stop command for the arbitrary content being played (S416), and stops by including the content information of the stopped content in the content playback stop information message. Send to a device that supports playback of content.

Here, for example, when the content where playback is stopped is a music file in MP3 format, the stopped content information included in the content playback stop information message includes music file data (content data) and a stopped position (position where playback is stopped). And the like.

The content playback stop message has the same format as the content information message as shown in FIG. 3A.

Meanwhile, the content reproduction stop message includes the stopped content information in the data field of the content information message, unlike the selected content list in the data field of the content information message shown in FIG. 3A.

A device supporting playback of the still content will be referred to as device 424 of FIG. Although FIG. 4 illustrates one device that supports playback of the still content, it is natural that more than one device may exist.

That is, the media player 420 transmits a content reproduction stop information message including the content information of which the reproduction is stopped to the device 412 (S418).

The device 424 examines the Protocol field of the Classification Header field included in the content stop information message received from the media player 420, and plays the content when the Protocol field indicates that the data field includes the stopped content information. The paused content information included in the data field of the still information message is parsed and stored (S420).

Thereafter, the device 424 plays the stopped content according to the playback command of the stopped content from the user (S422). Here, the device 424 may be a DMP or a DMR.

As described above, according to the DLNA home network system and the method for sharing content information of the system, the reproduction of the selected content is provided by providing a content list selected by the user to a device supporting the reproduction of the selected content. It is not necessary to construct the selected content list newly in the supporting device.

In addition, according to the DLNA home network system and the method for sharing content information of the system according to the present invention, by providing the content information that is stopped playback to a device supporting the playback of the content is stopped, the content is stopped playback; Playback may be performed on a device that supports playback of the content where the playback is stopped.

Claims (14)

In the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) home network system including one or more devices that each play content in different formats, One or more media servers storing one or more contents and providing a list of content items for the one or more contents as a content search request message is received; Wow Sending a content search request message to at least one of the one or more media servers and including one or more selected content items from the received list of content items in a content information message to each device supporting reproduction of the selected one or more contents. DLNA home network system including one or more media players for transmission. The method of claim 1, The one or more media players, DLNA home network system for identifying each device that supports playback of the selected one or more content prior to sending the content information message to each device. The method of claim 1, The content information message, And a field indicating whether the selected one or more content items are included. The method of claim 1, The one or more media players, Playing the one or more contents according to the request for playing the one or more contents items in the contents item list, stopping the playing of the contents according to the stop request of the contents being played, and displaying information on the contents of which the playback has been stopped. DLNA home network system that includes a message and sends it to one or more devices that support playback of content that has stopped playback. The method of claim 4, wherein The information of the content where the playback is stopped, And at least one of the stopped content data and a stop position of the reproduced content. The method of claim 4, wherein The media player, DLNA home network system for identifying each device that supports the playback of the content is stopped playback before transmitting the content playback stop information message to each device. The method of claim 4, wherein The content playback stop information message, DLNA home network system including a field indicating whether the information of the content is stopped playback. In the content information sharing method of a DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) home network system including at least one media server, at least one media player and at least one device for playing content of different formats, respectively, The at least one media player sending a content search request message to at least one of the at least one media server; Providing, by at least one media server of the one or more media servers, a content item list for one or more different formats of content stored as the content search request message is received; And The at least one media player including at least one content item selected by a user in the received list of content items in a content information message and transmitting the at least one content item to each device supporting reproduction of the at least one selected content; Method of sharing content information in a network system. The method of claim 8, Identifying each device that supports playback of the selected one or more content before the one or more media players send the content information message to each device. The method of claim 8, The content information message, And a field indicating whether the one or more selected content items are included. The method of claim 8, Playing the one or more contents by the one or more media players according to a request for playing one or more contents items in the contents item list; Wow One or more devices that stop playback of the content according to the stop request of the content being played by the one or more media players and include information of the content on which the playback is stopped in a content stop information message to support playback of the content that has been stopped. Content information sharing method of the DLNA home network system further comprising the step of transmitting to. The method of claim 11, The information of the content where the playback is stopped, And at least one of the content data of which the reproduction is stopped and the stop position of the reproduced content. The method of claim 11, Identifying each device supporting the playback of the stopped content before the at least one media player transmits the content stop information message to each device, the content information of the DLNA home network system. How to share. The method of claim 11, The content playback stop information message, And a field indicating whether or not the information on the content of which playback is stopped is included.

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