KR20100087483A - Home network system and control point and method for controlling thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A home network system, a control point and a method for controlling the same are provided to browse, search and execute the contents of DMS by storing the content items of the DMS in a database. CONSTITUTION: When a signal requesting the search of contents is received, a DMS(Digital Media server)(100) transmits the contents information of the contents. A CP(control point)(400) transmits the request signal to the DMS. If the content item information corresponding to the request signal is received from the DMS, a CP stores the item information at a database. The content item information includes the names of contents, the position information and format information.

Description

Home network system and control point and control method for the same

The present invention relates to a home network system and a control point constituting the home network system, and more particularly, to a digital living network alliance (DLNA) home network system and a control point constituting the home network system and a control method therefor. It is about.

DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) is a new official partnership for the commercialization of home networks. It was renamed Digital Home Working Group (DHWG), which was launched in June 2003.

DLNA aims to build interoperable platforms based on open industry standards that are already in place and to achieve industry convergence.

Such DLNA is promoting the introduction of guidelines by companies based on UPnP, which is widely used by manufacturers of home appliances, personal computers (PCs), and wireless devices.

Here, UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) is a technology that enables communication between information appliances connected to a network without complicated setting procedures, and allows other devices to automatically find a service owned by one device.

Meanwhile, the guidelines currently introduced in DLNA provide design principles for sharing content between different brands and products through wired and wireless home networks between home appliances, PCs and wireless devices. As a result, products designed according to the guidelines will be able to share media content, such as music, photos, and videos, over a home network.

An object of the present invention is to provide a home network system and a control point and a control method therefor that enable the user to quickly browse the contents of the digital media server at the control point in the DNLA home network system.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a home network system including: a digital media server including at least one content and transmitting item information of the provided contents when a signal for requesting searching for the contents is received; And a control point for transmitting the request signal to the digital media server and receiving content item information corresponding to the request signal from the digital media server.

In this case, the home network system may be a digital living network alliance (DLNA) network system.

The content item information may include at least one of a name of the contents, location information of each of the contents, and format information of the contents, and the control point may refer to the contents of the contents and the contents. At least one of each of the location information and the format information of the contents may be sorted to form a database.

The control point may display the databased content item information on a screen in a table form, and play back the selected content when any one is selected on the displayed table.

In addition, when a search word for content search is input from a user, the control point may search for a content corresponding to the search word in the database and play the searched content.

The control point may update the changed content item information in the database when a notification including the fact of change of the content item information and a signal including the changed content item information is received from the digital media server.

The present invention also provides a control point of a home network system, comprising: a display unit; A sound unit; An input unit; A storage unit; A communication unit which transmits a signal requesting a search for contents included in the digital media server to a digital media server, and receives item information of contents corresponding to the request signal; And a controller configured to store the content item information received through the communication unit as a database and store it in the storage unit.

In addition, the present invention provides a method of controlling a control point of a home network system, the method comprising: transmitting a signal for requesting retrieval of contents included in the digital media server to a digital media server; Receiving item information of contents corresponding to the request signal from the digital media server; And databaseting the received content item information.

The home network system and the control point and the control method therefor according to the present invention can quickly browse, search and execute the contents of the digital media server as the database stores and stores the content items of the digital media server at the control point. It can be effective.

Hereinafter, a home network system and a control point according to the present invention and a control method therefor will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The suffixes "module" and "unit" for components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles from each other.

Hereinafter, a home network system and a control point and a control method therefor according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 illustrates a DLNA layer according to the present invention.

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

The first layer is a network connection layer that uses 802.11a / b / g for wireless connection and 802.3i and 802.3u for wired connection.

The second layer uses the IPv4 protocol as a network stack layer.

The third layer uses HTTP 1.0 / 1.1 as the media transport layer.

The fourth and fifth layers are the device discovery, control, and media management layers. The fourth layer uses UPnP device architecture, and the fifth layer is UPnP AV (Audio / Video).

The sixth layer uses Image, Audio, and AV as the Media Formats layer.

Here, the UPnP AV specification of the fifth layer defines two device models of a digital media server and a digital media renderer.

The digital media server is a device for providing content on a network, and the digital media renderer is a device for playing content received from the network.

The UPnP AV is configured to control a digital media server and the digital media renderer by configuring a control point, which is a device having a capability of searching for and controlling other devices.

Meanwhile, the UPnP AV standard defines four services such as a connection manager service, a rendering control service, an AV transport service, and a content directory service. Doing.

Here, the connection management service selects a format and a protocol, and allows the control point to use and manage the relationship between the source and the sink of the content.

The connection management service also allows the control point not to know the physical media connection technology and allows the control point to select a source and a sink to play that source.

The rendering control service also controls sound and image characteristics. Most playback devices provide configuration properties that affect content playback, and the rendering control service provides a function for the control point to adjust these playback properties.

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

The content directory service is a service that shows contents and a detailed information list of the contents. The detailed information of the content may include the name of the content, location information of the content, and format information of the content.

The content directory is a service that the control point uses to retrieve and store audio and video content.

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

2 is a diagram illustrating a control point displaying a content item of a digital media server on a screen by using a content directory service.

Referring to FIG. 2, the control point receives content item information from the digital media server, and displays the received content item information in a directory form.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, three directories 10, 20, and 30 are displayed, and contents 11, 12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, and 33 are respectively displayed in the directories. It is kept.

However, there is a problem in that the directories 10, 20, and 30 must be checked in order for the user to search for contents to be played back from the displayed content item information.

Accordingly, in the present invention, the item information of the content is made into a database by using the detailed information of the content, and the content item information of the database is stored on one screen without configuring the content item information in a directory form as in the prior art. Its purpose is to display it so that users can search and play it quickly.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to enable the user to quickly search and play the desired content in the database content item information using the search word.

Hereinafter, a home network system and a control point and a control method therefor according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a DLNA home network according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the DLNA home network may include a DMS 100, a DMP 200, a DMR 300, and a control point 400.

In UPNA-based DLNA, a device class is set for each device. The components of FIG. 3 are classified and named according to the device class.

The device classes are classified according to which functions they support regardless of their physical characteristics. Since one device may provide various functions, one device may belong to several device classes.

The digital media server (DMS) 100 is a device for a server in which a UPnP media server is embedded, and may provide various media contents on a DLNA home network.

The digital media player (DMP) 200 may provide a function of selecting and controlling content on a DLNA home network and playing back the selected content. Such a DMP 200 may be a combination of the functions of the DMS 100 and the control point 400.

Meanwhile, in the DLNA home network, the DMS 100 and the DMP 200 may coexist in one device.

The DMR (Digital Media Renderer) 300 is a device for playing content received from a home network.

As described above, the control point 400 refers to a device having the ability to search for and control other devices.

The control point 400 generally has a form of a portable terminal (eg, a remote controller) that supports mobility for free control and management of a user, but excludes a form in which a control point 400 is connected to other devices in a home network by wire. It is not.

In addition, the types of DLNA devices classified according to functions and physical characteristics may include a DVD player, an audio player, a TV, a DVR, a mobile phone, a printer, a camera, and the like.

These various types of devices may be the DMS 100, the DMR 300, the DMP 200, and the control point 400 according to the service type thereof. For example, the mobile phone may function as the control point 400, and the TV and the DVR may function as the DMS 100 or the DMR 300.

In the DLNA home network having such a configuration, the control point 400 does not form the directory form of the contents provided in the DMS 100 by using the content directory service, but forms the item information of the content as a database. The database content item information can be displayed on one screen so that the user can quickly search and play the content.

On the other hand, since the DMP 200 includes the function of the control point in its function, the functions and operations of all the control points described below may be the same in the DMP 200.

4 is a block diagram of a control point according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control point 400 may be configured to include a communication unit 410, an input unit 420, a storage unit 430, an acoustic unit 440, a display unit 450, and a control unit 460. Can be.

The communication unit 410 may perform wireless communication using 802.11a / b / g or wired communication using 802.3i / 802.3u with the devices configuring the DLNA home network.

The input unit 420 generates input data for the user to select a content to be played on the content search request and the content item information databased according to the present invention. The input unit 420 may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (constant voltage / capacitance), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The storage unit 430 may store a program for controlling the operation of the control point 400 and content itemized information that is databased according to the present invention.

The storage unit 430 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, an SD or XD memory). Etc.), random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EPEROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), At least one type of storage medium may include a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk.

The sound unit 440 outputs audio data of content selected by the user.

The display unit 450 displays signals output from the controller 460 or displays video data of content selected by the user.

The controller 460 may control the overall operation of the control point 400, search for contents in the DMS 100 in the DLNA home network by using a content directory service, and make the searched content items into a database to store the contents of the storage unit ( 430).

Hereinafter, the database operation according to the present invention of the controller 460 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a control process of a control point on a DLNA home network according to the present invention.

6 is a diagram illustrating content item information provided to a control point by a DMS.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a control point database of content item information provided by a DMS in a table form.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, when a key signal for content search request is input from the user through the input unit 420 [S101], the controller 460 of the control point 400 receives a content search request using a content directory service. A signal is generated and the generated content search request signal is transmitted to all the DMSs 100 on the DLNA home network through the communication unit 410 [S102].

In this case, the control point 400 may receive various formats such as a specific media format, all audio formats, all media formats, etc. from the user in the content search request. In addition, in the content search request, the control point 400 may receive various content search ranges such as a specific DMS 100 on the DLNA home network and the entire DMS 100.

Meanwhile, when all the DMSs 100 on the DLNA home network receive a content search request signal from the communication unit 410 of the control point 400, the content item information according to all content media formats included by using the content directory service is provided. It consists of a directory and transmits it to the control point 400 [S103].

The 'content item information' refers to a list in which the DMS 100 lists the items of all the content media that the DMS 100 includes in response to the content search request signal of the control point 400.

Herein, the content item information may be configured in various forms. In the present invention, for example, the content item information may be configured in Extensible Markup Language (XML) form.

XML is a next-generation Internet language that improves the Hypertext Markup Language (HTTP) that composes the Internet Web. It has the advantage that users can manipulate structured databases at will.

As shown in FIG. 6, the DMS 100 directories the audio data held by the DMS 100 into two contents and inserts the names of the audio data into the two contents directories 51 and 52. ) Is transmitted to the control point 400.

In this case, the DMS 100 may transmit the name of the contents, location information of each of the contents, and format information of the contents in the content item information 50.

On the other hand, the control unit 460 of the control point 400 is the content in the content item information 50 received through the communication unit 410 as shown in FIG. Each of the location information and the format information of the contents are sorted to form a database, and the database itemized content item information 60 is stored in the storage unit 430 [S104].

Subsequently, the controller 460 displays the databased content item information 60 on one screen of the display unit 450 [S105].

That is, in the related art, the content item information 50 received from the DMS 100 is composed of respective directories 51 and 52, and a user checks what content is in the directories 51 and 52. There is a problem in that the directories 51 and 52 must be entered one by one.

However, in the present invention, the content item information 50 received from the DMS 100 is databased in the table form 60 of FIG. 7, so that the user knows what content exists in the content item information 60 at a glance. It can be.

The controller 460 generates an HTTP-GET message for requesting to play the selected content when the content to be played in the databased content item information 60 is selected by the user through the input unit 420 [S106]. The generated HTTP-GET message is transmitted to the DMS 100 through 410 [S107].

In general, an 'HTTP-GET message' is a message for a client to request data from a server, and is used when a general HTML document, image, audio, video, or video is requested to the server.

In this case, the 'HTTP-GET message' includes location information of the selected content.

In addition, if the search word for content search is input from the user through the input unit 420 while the content item information 60 is in a database, the controller 460 corresponds to the search word in the database 60. The content may be searched and an HTTP-GET message may be transmitted to the DMS 100 to request the playback of the searched content.

On the other hand, when the DMS 100 receives the HTTP-GET message from the control point 400, the content is located in the DMS 100 by using the location information of the content included in the received HTTP-GET message. Determine if it exists in.

As a result of the determination, the DMS 100 transmits a stream corresponding to the content to the control point 400 with respect to the content existing at the corresponding location in the DMS 100, and the content at the corresponding location in the DMS 100. If does not exist, a Not Exist message for notifying that the content does not exist is transmitted to the control point 400 [S108].

When the control unit 460 of the control point 400 transmits the stream corresponding to the selected content from the DMS 100 through the communication unit 410, the control unit 400 outputs the transmitted stream to the sound unit 440 and / or the display unit 450. Playback via [S109].

In addition, although not shown in FIG. 5, the controller 460 receives a change fact notification of the content item information 50 and a signal including the changed content item information from the DMS 100 through the communication unit 410. If so, the changed content item information 50 may be updated in the database 60.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the above-described method can be embodied as computer readable code on a medium on which a program is recorded. The computer-readable medium includes all kinds of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of the computer-readable medium include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage, and the like, and also implemented in the form of a carrier wave (for example, transmission over the Internet) . In addition, the computer may include a control unit 460 of the control point 400.

The present invention as described above is not limited to the configuration and method of the embodiments described above, the embodiments may be configured by selectively combining all or part of each embodiment so that various modifications can be made It may be.

1 illustrates a DLNA layer according to the present invention.

2 is a diagram illustrating a control point displaying a content item of a digital media server on a screen by using a content directory service.

3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a DLNA home network according to the present invention.

4 is a block diagram of a control point according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a control process of a control point on a DLNA home network according to the present invention.

6 is a diagram illustrating content item information provided to a control point by a DMS.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a control point database of content item information provided by a DMS in a table form.

Claims (21)

A digital media server having at least one content and transmitting item information of the provided contents when a signal for requesting searching for the contents is received; And And a control point for transmitting the request signal to the digital media server and receiving content item information corresponding to the request signal from the digital media server. According to claim 1, The home network system is a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network system, characterized in that the system. According to claim 1, The content item information includes at least one of a name of the contents, location information of each of the contents, and format information of the contents. The method of claim 3, The control point is a home network system, characterized in that by sorting the contents by at least one of the name of the contents, the location information of each of the contents and the format information of the contents, respectively. According to claim 1, And the control point displays the databased content item information on a screen in a table form, and reproduces the selected content when any one is selected on the displayed table. According to claim 1, The control point, when a search word for content search from the user is input, search the content corresponding to the search word in the database, the home network system, characterized in that to play the searched content. According to claim 1, The control point may be further configured to update the changed content item information in the database when the digital media server receives a change notification of the content item information and a signal including the changed content item information. system. In the control point of the home network system, A display unit; A sound unit; An input unit; Storage unit; A communication unit which transmits a signal requesting a search for contents included in the digital media server to a digital media server, and receives item information of contents corresponding to the request signal; And And a controller configured to store the content item information received through the communication unit in a database and store the information in the storage unit. The method of claim 8, And the communication unit communicates with the digital media server by using a digital living network alliance (DLNA). The method of claim 8, And the content item information includes at least one of a name of the contents, position information of each of the contents, and format information of the contents. The method of claim 10, The control unit is configured to sort the contents into at least one of each of the names of the contents, the location information of each of the contents, and the format information of the contents. The method of claim 8, The controller is further configured to display the databased content item information on one screen of the display unit, and to play the selected content through the display unit and the audio unit when any one is selected on the displayed table through the input unit. Control point. The method of claim 8, The control unit, if a search word for content search from the input unit is input, search the content corresponding to the search word in the database, and reproduces the searched content through the display unit and the sound unit. The method of claim 8, The controller may be further configured to update the changed content item information in the database when the digital media server receives the notification of the change of the content item information and the changed content item information from the digital media server. Control point. In the control method of the control point of the home network system, Transmitting a signal requesting a search of contents included in the digital media server to a digital media server; Receiving item information of contents corresponding to the request signal from the digital media server; And And converting the received content item information into a database. The method of claim 15, The transmitting and receiving step is a control method of a control point, characterized in that performed using the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA). The method of claim 15, And the content item information includes at least one of a name of the contents, position information of each of the contents, and format information of the contents. 18. The method of claim 17, The database step may include sorting the contents into at least one of a name of the contents, location information of each of the contents, and format information of the contents. Control method. The method of claim 15, Displaying the databased content item information on one screen; If any one is selected on the table, playing the selected content. The method of claim 15, Searching for content corresponding to the search word in the database when a search word for the content search is input; And Playing the retrieved content; the control point control method further comprises. The method of claim 15, And updating the changed content item information in the database when a notification including the fact of change of the content item information and a signal including the changed content item information is received from the digital media server. Way.

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