KR20150091662A - Method and system for playing digital contents - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and a system for playing content and, more specifically, to a method for playing content, which comprises the steps of: connecting a first terminal to a second terminal via a home network; transmitting a sound signal of the content played in the first terminal to the second terminal or transmitting an image signal of the content played in the second terminal to the first terminal; and playing the image signal of the content in the first terminal and the sound signal in the second terminal at the same time.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and system for playing content,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a method and system for reproducing media contents, and more particularly to a method and system for reproducing contents using a display device such as a TV, a monitor, and a screen and a mobile device such as a mobile communication terminal .

In a conventional image reproducing apparatus, both image and sound are reproduced from one device. When the contents are reproduced through the TV, the image is reproduced by the TV screen and the sound is reproduced from the speaker built in the TV. This method is convenient to control the device such as selecting a channel, controlling the volume, stopping, and rewinding. However, when watching TV in a common living space such as living with another person, .

The above problem may be solved by connecting a separate sound device such as a headphone or an earphone to the above-mentioned video playback device. However, since the audio device is connected to the TV through a cable, problems such as inconvenience of space movement, .

In recent years, acoustic devices such as Bluetooth earphones and Bluetooth headphones have become widespread. Accordingly, it is possible to wirelessly connect with the image reproducing apparatus to view an image. However, since the user needs to purchase a separate Bluetooth sound device, the Bluetooth sound device is expensive and operates as a rechargeable battery, so that the user can use the device only after it is pre-charged.

When the content is viewed using a smart phone, a tablet terminal, or the like, such a problem does not occur. However, since the screen size of the mobile terminal is small, it is difficult to enjoy the content vividly. Therefore, it can not be a solution to the above-mentioned problem.

Meanwhile, in recent years, a content reproduction method such as an N-screen has been developed. N-screen is a next-generation computing network service that allows one content to be shared among various digital information devices such as smart phones, PCs, smart TVs, tablet PCs, and automobiles. It is a service that can watch a movie downloaded from a computer on a TV, view it as a smartphone on the subway, or view it on a tablet terminal, regardless of time, place, and digital device. However, N-screen is a method of "seamless" playback of content on multiple devices, and does not address the aforementioned issues.

Korea Patent Publication No. 2012-0053671

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a system capable of viewing content on a large screen without disturbing others.

In particular, the present invention proposes a new content playback method by linking a mobile communication terminal possessed by most users with a video playback apparatus having a large screen.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for reproducing content, the method comprising: connecting a first terminal and a second terminal to a content providing apparatus through a communication network; receiving, at a request of the first terminal or the second terminal, Transmitting the video signal of the content to the first terminal and the audio signal to the second terminal in the providing apparatus and reproducing the video signal of the content in the first terminal and the audio signal in the second terminal simultaneously.

In this case, the connecting step may include searching for a second terminal or a first terminal capable of content separation and reproduction by the first terminal or the second terminal, and searching for a first terminal or a second terminal, And transmitting the information to the content providing apparatus, wherein the content providing apparatus separates the video signal and the audio signal of the content requested to be reproduced by the first terminal or the second terminal before the transmitting step .

In another embodiment of the present invention, the first terminal and the second terminal may be connected through a home network before the regeneration step. In this case, Searching for a terminal connected to the home network by the first terminal or the second terminal and a first terminal and a second terminal capable of content separation and reproduction among the terminals connected to the home network through the home network And < / RTI > In addition to the present embodiment, the first terminal and the second terminal may be connected to the content providing apparatus via the home network.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the method may further include a step of synchronizing the video signal and the audio signal reproduced respectively by the first terminal and the second terminal after the transmission step. In this case, the video signal and the audio signal include a cue signal as a reference for synchronization, and the synchronization step synchronizes the cue signal at a second terminal or a first terminal matched with the first terminal or the second terminal, Signal and sound signals can be synchronized.

The synchronization step may include receiving a video signal of the first terminal or a playback timing control command of the second terminal from the user and receiving the video signal of the first terminal or the audio of the second terminal based on the received adjustment command, And adjusting a reproduction time point of the signal.

A content reproduction system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a first terminal for reproducing a video signal, a second terminal for reproducing a sound signal, and a second terminal connected to the first terminal and the second terminal through a communication network, A video signal reproduced by the first terminal and an audio signal reproduced by the second terminal are simultaneously reproduced. The video signal reproduced by the first terminal and the video signal reproduced by the second terminal are simultaneously reproduced do.

In this case, the first terminal and the second terminal are connected via a home network, and a video signal of a content transmitted from the first terminal to the second terminal or reproduced from the second terminal is transmitted through the home network, 1 < / RTI >

Meanwhile, the content reproduction terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit for transmitting and receiving data to and from a content reproduction terminal through a communication network, a content management unit for extracting an audio signal or a video signal to be transmitted to the content reproduction terminal, A content providing unit for providing a signal to each content reproduction terminal, and a synchronization unit for adjusting a reproduction time of a video signal or an audio signal so that an audio signal or a video signal reproduced by each content reproduction terminal is synchronized.

The present invention can be embodied in the form of a computer-readable recording medium containing a program for executing the above-described content reproducing method.

According to the present invention, since a video signal and an audio signal can be separated and reproduced, content can be enjoyed on a large screen without disturbing others without restriction of space.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the content reproduction time can be automatically synchronized, and the content can be deeply immersed.

Further, the network necessary for content reproduction can be selected in accordance with the user's purpose, and accordingly, the content reproduction time point can be accurately synchronized.

1 is a block diagram of a content reproducing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a flowchart illustrating a content reproducing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a block diagram of a content reproduction system according to another embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart illustrating a content reproducing method according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method of synchronizing a video signal and an audio signal in the content reproducing method of the present invention

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG.

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

1 is a block diagram illustrating a content reproduction system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The content reproduction system of the present embodiment is connected to a first terminal for reproducing a video signal, a second terminal for reproducing a sound signal, and the first terminal and the second terminal through a communication network, And a content providing device for transmitting the sound signal of the content to the second terminal. The video signal reproduced by the first terminal and the audio signal reproduced by the second terminal can be simultaneously reproduced.

A first terminal of the present invention is an apparatus for reproducing a video signal, and includes a device such as a TV, a monitor, a PC, and a projector capable of displaying an image with a display or projecting an image on a screen or the like. In consideration of the object of the present invention, the first terminal corresponds to a device capable of reproducing an image of a content on a large screen as compared with a conventional portable device (smart phone, tablet terminal).

The second terminal of the present invention is an apparatus for reproducing a sound signal, and is a device that receives data (sound signal) from the outside and reproduces it by using a sound device (earphone, headphone, etc.). Considering the object of the present invention for reproducing only the sound of the content reproduced from the first terminal, it is possible to provide a mobile communication terminal which can be easily carried by the user and can be connected to the sound device, for example, a smart phone, a tablet PC, May be included in the second terminal of the present invention (including, but not limited to, the smart terminal of the later transformable type).

The present invention is different from the above-described embodiments in that a main body processes and reproduces a video signal and an audio signal with respect to one content (e.g., drama, movie, etc.). The video signal is reproduced by a first terminal having a display function and the acoustic signal is reproduced by a second terminal capable of reproducing sound, respectively. The present invention improves the fact that the sound of the content is heard as noise to other people when viewing the content using a display device (TV or the like) in a specific space (for example, a living room in which a TV is arranged) In order to solve the inconvenience of viewing the contents using a conventional portable device having a small size. Accordingly, the advantage of each device (the first terminal - a real image can be displayed on a large screen, a second terminal can be carried by an individual, and a sound can be heard without affecting others by using a sound device) ) To construct a new type of content reproduction system.

In this embodiment, the first terminal and the second terminal receive and reproduce a video signal and an audio signal, respectively, from the content providing apparatus, and both the first terminal and the second terminal receive a video signal or an audio signal from a separate apparatus (content providing apparatus) And may be reproduced by streaming.

The content providing apparatus of the present embodiment is an apparatus for providing a content in which video and sound are combined. A network server having storage means, a computer, and the like can be a content providing apparatus.

The content providing apparatus, the first terminal, and the second terminal transmit / receive data using a wired / wireless communication network. However, in consideration of the mobility of the second terminal reproducing the sound, it is preferable that the second terminal and the content providing apparatus communicate via the wireless communication network. Meanwhile, the first terminal and the second terminal may be connected to each other by a home network or the like.

In addition to the first embodiment, the first terminal and the second terminal are connected via a home network, and the audio signal of the content reproduced by the first terminal is transmitted to the second terminal, May be transmitted to the first terminal. This is shown in FIG.

The first terminal can communicate with another terminal (e.g., a second terminal) through the home network. Here, the home network should be regarded as a concept including not only the communication protocol defined as a technical standard in the home network field such as DLNA, UPnP, Bonjour, but also transmitting / receiving data by short-range wireless communication including Wi-Fi, NFC and Zigbee. The first terminal includes a communication module to enable wireless communication according to the above-mentioned communication protocol and method.

In this embodiment, any one of the video signal and the audio signal of the content stored in the specific terminal (the first terminal or the second terminal) or streamed from the terminal is directly reproduced and the other is reproduced by the other terminal To be reproduced.

Meanwhile, a content providing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit for transmitting / receiving data to / from a content reproduction terminal through a communication network, a content management unit for extracting a sound signal or a video signal to be transmitted to the content reproduction terminal, A content providing unit for providing a signal to each of the contents reproducing terminals and a synchronizing unit for adjusting the reproduction time of the video signal or the audio signal so that the sound signal or the video signal reproduced by each content reproducing terminal is synchronized. In the present embodiment, the playback timing of the video signal and the audio signal is adjusted in the content providing apparatus, but in the embodiment described later, the first and second terminals may directly adjust the playback timing to synchronize.

A detailed example of the operation of the content reproduction apparatus including the content providing apparatus, the first terminal, and the second terminal will be described with reference to FIG.

2 is a flowchart illustrating a content reproducing method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, the first terminal and the second terminal are connected to the content providing apparatus through a communication network. In response to a request from the first terminal or the second terminal, the video signal of the content is transmitted to the first terminal, Transmitting the signal to the second terminal, and reproducing the video signal of the content at the first terminal and the acoustic signal at the second terminal simultaneously. The content reproduction system described above and the content reproduction method according to the present embodiment will be described together.

A request from a terminal (master device) operated by a user for a content reproduction request from the first terminal or the second terminal to the content providing apparatus is requested to separate and reproduce the video signal and the audio signal. At this time, if the first terminal or the second terminal searches for a second terminal or a first terminal (slave device) capable of content separation and reproduction through the content providing apparatus or the home network, , And transmits information about the searched first terminal or the second terminal (slave device) to the content providing device. The information transmitted to the content providing apparatus includes various information (for example, an IP address, a terminal identification number, a mobile phone number, etc. in the case of a mobile communication terminal) for identifying each device on the network.

When the content providing apparatus and the first and second terminals are connected through the communication network through the above-described process, the content providing apparatus transmits a video signal to the first terminal and an audio signal to the second terminal. The first and second terminals receiving the respective signals can reproduce video or audio signals in a streaming manner.

The video signal and the audio signal reproduced by the first terminal and the second terminal of the present invention may be a content in which a video signal and an audio signal are separated from the beginning or may be a content in which a video signal and an audio signal are combined. In the former case, if the contents providing apparatus does not separately separate the audio signal and the video signal of the contents but transmits the already separated and stored signals, the first and second terminals need only receive and reproduce the signals. However, when the video signal and the audio signal are not separated as in the latter case, the present invention further includes a step of separating the video signal and the audio signal of the content from the content providing device before transmitting the audio signal or the video signal . This is indicated by the dotted line in Fig.

The separating step may be performed before or after the first terminal and the second terminal are connected to the content providing apparatus, before the content is transmitted. That is, the connection between the content providing apparatus and the first and second terminals via a communication network can be performed in parallel.

Meanwhile, the master-slave relationship between the first terminal and the second terminal may vary depending on the user's selection, performance of the first and second terminals, and type of contents. In more detail, a first terminal transmits a sound signal to a second terminal, a second terminal transmits a sound signal to a second terminal, a second terminal becomes a slave device, The terminal can reproduce the received sound signal. On the contrary, the second terminal transmits the video signal to the first terminal, the second terminal transmits the video signal to the first terminal, the second terminal becomes the slave device, It is possible to reproduce a video signal. That is, if both the first terminal and the second terminal are responsible for the video signal and the audio signal, any of the terminals may perform data processing, signal transmission, and the like related to the content.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a content reproducing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The content reproducing method according to the present embodiment may further include the step of connecting the first terminal and the second terminal through the home network before the reproducing step. The connection between the first terminal and the second terminal through the home network is not related to the order in which each terminal is connected to the content providing apparatus before the content is reproduced. That is, the terminals may be connected first on the home network, each terminal may be connected to the content providing apparatus via the communication network, and then the terminals may be connected on the home network.

The first terminal and the second terminal of the present invention are connected via a home network. In more detail, the first terminal and the second terminal respectively access the home network, the first terminal or the second terminal searches for a terminal connected to the home network, And connecting the first terminal and the second terminal capable of separating and reproducing the content through the home network.

The first terminal and the second terminal are devices connectable to a home network implemented by various technical standards. The detailed description of the communication equipment necessary for network connection, the connection procedure using the communication protocol, and the like will be omitted. In addition to the first terminal and the second terminal, various devices may be connected through a home network. The first terminal or the second terminal searches for a device connected to the home network. That is, a device capable of transmitting and receiving data with itself through the home network is searched and prepared for communication.

The first terminal or the second terminal can select a terminal to be paired with itself among the various devices connected to the home network (the first terminal for the first terminal and the first terminal for the second terminal) It is possible to transmit and receive a video signal or an audio signal to achieve the object of the present invention.

The first terminal and the second terminal connected to each other transmit and receive the video signal or the audio signal of the content, so that the video signal of the first terminal and the audio signal of the second terminal are reproduced.

Meanwhile, when the first and second terminals are connected to the home network, the first and second terminals may be connected to the content providing apparatus via the home network. If the first and second terminals are connected to each other via a communication network but are connected together via a home network, the difference in the transmission speed of the network between the first and second terminals may be reduced.

It is important to eliminate the sense of heterogeneity that the image and the sound are separated to the user who plays and appreciates the content by using the present invention. The present invention further includes precisely synchronizing each signal reproduced in the first and second terminals after signal transmission for this purpose.

In order to achieve the object of the present invention, the video signal of the first terminal and the audio signal of the second terminal must be simultaneously reproduced. The signal reproduced from the first terminal and the signal reproduced from the second terminal must be combined to reproduce one entire content. Therefore, even if the video signal and the audio signal are processed separately from each other (the first terminal and the second terminal) .

For this, the present invention further includes a synchronization step. In an embodiment of the synchronization step, a video signal and a sound signal include a cue signal as a reference of synchronization, and a second signal The terminal or the first terminal may synchronize the cue signal to synchronize the video signal and the sound signal. An example of a bit stream of a video signal and an audio signal including the cue signal of this embodiment is shown in Fig.

5 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method of synchronizing a video signal and an audio signal in the content reproducing method of the present invention.

As an example of synchronization using a cue signal, the first terminal and the second terminal use the same clock (most terminals use time information based on a satellite signal, or time can be set by a user's operation) Information so that both the first terminal and the second terminal can reproduce the cue signal at a specific time point. Since the data of the same time point is reproduced on the basis of the same time, the video signal and the audio signal can be reproduced in a synchronized state with respect to the subsequent contents. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the video signal and the audio signal are synchronized using the cue signal before the image reproduction (note that it is not always necessary to synchronize the video signal and the audio signal before the video reproduction, It can be inserted and synchronized during content playback.)

However, in order to reproduce the cue signals, the first terminal and the second terminal may determine whether or not the cue signals are coincident with each other through the home network, determine whether the cue signals are coincident with each other through the content providing apparatus, You can also adjust the viewpoint.

In another embodiment of the synchronization step, a step of receiving a video signal of a first terminal or a playback timing control instruction of a sound signal of a second terminal from a user and a video signal of a first terminal, And adjusting the reproduction time of the acoustic signal of the audio signal. This embodiment is also similar to the above-described contents. However, when adjusting the playback time of the video signal or the audio signal, the first terminal or the second terminal may directly control the playback time of the video signal, or may transmit the adjustment command input from the user to the content providing apparatus, And may adjust a schedule for streaming audio signals or video signals. It may be determined whether to adjust the streaming schedule or adjust the playback time of the first and second terminals themselves according to the performance of the first terminal and the second terminal, in particular the performance associated with data reception or the performance associated with video / audio playback, The user can control by operating the first and second terminals.

The present embodiment is an example of synchronizing video and audio by reflecting the subjective impression of the user. The purpose of synchronizing and reproducing the separated video and audio signals is to allow the user to recognize that the video and audio signals of the contents are not separated. That is, it is more important that the user feels that the image and sound are synchronized rather than the image and sound are reproduced at the physically synchronized time.

Accordingly, in the present embodiment, the user can control the video signal of the first terminal or the audio signal playback time of the second terminal, and adjust the playback time of the signal back and forth based on the command input from the user. As a result, the user can feel that the video and the sound coincide with each other and can reproduce, and enjoy unified contents.

The synchronization step may be synchronized before content reproduction, or synchronized during content reproduction, after the content transmission step. This variable order will be understood through the dotted lines in FIGS.

Meanwhile, the content reproducing method of the present invention may be implemented as a program, an application, a system file, and the like, and the present invention may be embodied in the form of a computer readable recording medium containing such a program.

Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. It is therefore to be understood that the embodiments described above are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the detailed description and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents are to be construed as being included within the scope of the present invention do.

Claims (13)

The first terminal and the second terminal being connected to the content providing apparatus through a communication network;
Transmitting a video signal of a content to a first terminal and a sound signal to a second terminal in response to a request from the first terminal or the second terminal; And
Reproducing the video signal of the content at the first terminal and the audio signal at the second terminal simultaneously;
A content reproduction method
The method of claim 1,
The first terminal or the second terminal searching for a second terminal or a first terminal capable of content separation and reproduction; And
Transmitting information about a second terminal or a first terminal from which the first terminal or the second terminal is searched to the content providing apparatus;
A content reproduction method
The method of claim 1,
Separating the video signal and the audio signal of the content requested to be reproduced by the content providing apparatus in the first terminal or the second terminal;
A content reproduction method
The method of claim 1,
Connecting a first terminal and a second terminal through a home network;
The method of claim 1, further comprising:
5. The method of claim 4,
Connecting a first terminal and a second terminal to a home network;
The first terminal or the second terminal searching for a terminal connected to the home network; And
Connecting a first terminal and a second terminal capable of content separation and reproduction among terminals connected to a home network through a home network;
A content reproduction method
The content playback method according to claim 5, wherein the first terminal and the second terminal are connected to the content providing apparatus via a home network The method of claim 1,
Synchronizing a video signal and an audio signal reproduced respectively by the first terminal and the second terminal;
A content reproduction method
The method of claim 7, wherein the video signal and the audio signal include a cue signal that is a reference of synchronization,
Wherein the synchronizing step synchronizes the video signal and the audio signal by matching the cue signal at a second terminal or a first terminal matched with the first terminal or the second terminal,
8. The method of claim 7,
Receiving a video signal of the first terminal or an audio signal of the second terminal from the user; And
Adjusting a playback timing of the video signal of the first terminal or the audio signal of the second terminal based on the received adjustment command;
A content reproduction method < RTI ID = 0.0 > A computer-readable recording medium containing a program for executing the content reproducing method according to any one of claims 1 to 9
A first terminal for reproducing a video signal;
A second terminal for reproducing an acoustic signal; And
A content providing device connected to the first terminal and the second terminal through a communication network, the content providing device transmitting a video signal of the content to the first terminal and a sound signal of the content to the second terminal;
Lt; / RTI >
Wherein the video signal reproduced by the first terminal and the audio signal reproduced by the second terminal are simultaneously reproduced.
Claim 11
The first terminal and the second terminal are connected to each other through a home network, and a video signal of a content transmitted to the second terminal or reproduced by the second terminal is transmitted to the first terminal And a content reproduction system A communication unit for transmitting and receiving data to and from a content reproduction terminal through a communication network;
A content management unit for extracting an audio signal or a video signal to be transmitted to the content reproduction terminal;
A content providing unit for providing the separated audio signal and video signal to each contents reproducing terminal; And
A synchronization unit for adjusting a playback timing of a video signal or an audio signal so that an audio signal or a video signal reproduced by each content reproduction terminal is synchronized;
A content providing apparatus

Images