JP2002024690A - Method and system for distributing image/voice, and storing medium with image/voice distributing program stored therein - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and a system capable of integrally managing information on a plurality of image/voice contents distributed on a network and continuously distributing the image/voice contents suitable for the position and the time to a user according to the position of the user, and a storing medium with an image/voice distributing program stored therein. SOLUTION: The position of a user terminal is obtained by a relay server, information on image/voice contents is accumulated and managed together with information of a space and the time effective in providing the contents, the suitable contents information is searched from the accumulated information on the basis of the position obtained from the user terminal and the present time, a plurality of contents suitable for the position of the user terminal and the present time are selected, and the contents obtained by being required for an information transmission server are sequentially and continuously distributed from the server to the user terminal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video / audio distribution method and system, and a storage medium storing a video / audio distribution program, and more particularly, to a method of providing information using a network. The present invention relates to a video distribution method and system for distributing video / audio content on a network in accordance with the above, and a storage medium storing a video / audio distribution program.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Video and audio contents tied to a specific area or facility, such as live video from a fixed-point camera and stored video such as sightseeing guides and facility guides, are used through a network. The provision of video / audio content is realized by a video distribution server or WWW server, and a client that reproduces video / audio received through a network. Generally, HT is used as a user interface for using video / audio contents.
An ML page is used.

[0003] Conventionally, video and audio contents stored in a computer-readable medium over a network, or
An information transmission server having a function of transmitting video / audio captured from a device capable of outputting video, such as a video camera, to a user terminal or another information transmission server via a network;
There is a system including a personal computer having a content reception / playback function for controlling playback or a user terminal which is a portable terminal. There is a method of receiving / reproducing a video / audio stream transmitted from the information transmitting server by using the content receiving / reproducing function of the user terminal by using the information transmitting server and the user terminal.

[0004]

However, when considering the use of these contents in a portable computer, a portable computer, or a mobile environment in which the user moves with a portable information terminal, it is difficult to use these contents regardless of whether they are mobile or non-mobile. As a problem that arises, there is a problem that the information cannot be used without knowing information on the location of the content such as a URL, and that the information cannot be used depending on the time zone even if the location is known. This problem can be reduced by constructing a directory system that classifies and organizes contents or a search system that can perform keyword search using the above-described conventional technology. However, even if a directory system or search system is implemented, addresses, place names,
If the information such as the facility name, which is a key for the search, is not known, the search itself cannot be executed, and the location information of the content cannot be obtained.

[0005] Further, in order to obtain contents, a series of operations such as execution of search, selection of search results, and reproduction of video and audio are necessary, and execution in a mobile environment may be complicated.

As described above, there is a problem that it is not easy to know the location of the video / audio content, and even if the location of the video / audio content can be searched, the operation until the content is reproduced is complicated. .

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and integrally manages information relating to a plurality of video / audio contents distributed on a network, and adapts the position and time according to the position of the user. It is an object of the present invention to provide a video / audio distribution method and system capable of continuously distributing the obtained video / audio content to a user, and a storage medium storing a video / audio distribution program.

[0008]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the principle of the present invention.

The present invention (claim 1) provides a plurality of information transmission servers capable of transmitting video / audio contents to a network, a relay server for relaying video / audio contents, and reception / reproduction of video / audio contents. In a video / audio distribution system including a plurality of user terminals, in a video / audio distribution method for distributing the video / audio content via the relay server, the relay server identifies the user terminal (step 1) Acquire the position of the user terminal (step 2), and accumulate information on video / audio contents together with effective space information of a space in which the provision of the contents is valid and valid time information of a valid time.
Based on the position acquired from the user terminal and the current time, matching content information is searched from the stored information (step 3), and the position of the user terminal is searched based on the content information. And a plurality of contents adapted to the current time are selected (step 4), and the contents obtained from the own server or obtained by requesting the information transmission server are sequentially and continuously delivered to the user terminal (step 5). .

According to the present invention (claim 2), in the relay server, the position of the user terminal is detected in the own server or obtained from the user terminal.

According to the present invention (claim 3), in the relay server, information on video / audio content, effective space information for providing the content, and effective time information are obtained from the information sender, and the content is selected.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the principle of the present invention.

According to the present invention (claim 4), a plurality of information transmission servers 1 capable of transmitting video / audio contents to a network, a relay server 2 for relaying video / audio contents, and reception / reception of video / audio contents. A video / audio distribution system comprising a user terminal 3 having reproducible content receiving / reproducing means 31, comprising a relay server 2
Accumulates position information acquisition means 21 for acquiring position information of the user terminal 3 and information on video / audio contents together with effective space information of a space where the provision of the contents is valid and valid time information of a valid time. Content information storage means 22, position information obtained by the position information obtaining means 21 from information stored in the content information storage means 22,
Based on the current time, the content information search means 23 to be searched, and based on the content information searched by the content information search means 23, select a content adapted to the position of the user and the current time, and sequentially and continuously. Content distribution control means 24 for distributing to the user terminal.

According to the present invention (claim 5), the position information obtaining means 21 includes means for detecting the position of the user terminal in its own server or means for obtaining the position from the user terminal.

According to the present invention (claim 6), in the content information storage means 21, the video / audio
It stores information on audio contents, effective space information for providing contents, and effective time information.

[0016] The present invention (claim 7) is a storage medium storing a video / audio content distribution program for selectively relaying video / audio content, and a position information obtaining process for obtaining position information of a user terminal. A search process for searching for content information including valid space information and valid time information on content that meets the conditions, using the acquired position information and the current time as search conditions, and based on the content information obtained in the search process. And a relay process of receiving data of the selected content and relaying the data to the user terminal.

The present invention (claim 8) includes, in the location information acquisition process, means for detecting the location of the user terminal in the own server or a process for acquiring the location from the user terminal.

According to the present invention (claim 9), in the selection process, a process of selecting content to be relayed based on information on video / audio content, effective space information of content provision, and effective time information acquired from an information sender. including.

As described above, according to the present invention, the information relay server uses the space and time at which the content is available, obtained from the information transmission server (information sender), to obtain information on the video / audio content. By searching for and relaying based on the information, it is possible to select content suitable for the position and time from the content distributed on the network and distribute it to the user.

[0020]

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an outline of a system according to the present invention.

The system shown in FIG. 1 comprises a plurality of information transmission servers 1a to 1n, an information relay server 2, and a plurality of user terminals 3a to 3m, which are used in an environment where these are connected by a network such as the Internet. You. Although the number is one in the figure, there may be a plurality of information relay servers 2.

FIG. 4 shows a system configuration of the present invention. In the same figure, the same components as those in FIG.
The description is omitted.

The information transmission server 1 transmits video / audio content stored in a computer-readable medium or video / audio captured into a computer from a video output device such as a video camera to a user terminal 3 or Has the function of transmitting the information to another information transmission server 1.

The user terminal 3 is a personal computer or a portable terminal provided with a content reception / reproduction unit 31 for controlling reception / reproduction of a video / audio stream.

In addition to the system including the information transmission server 1 and the user terminal 3, the present invention detects the position information of the user terminal 3 and, based on the detected position information, an image adapted to the position / time. An information relay server 2 for transmitting audio contents is provided.

The information relay server 2 includes a position information acquisition unit 21 for detecting the position of the user terminal 3, and contents for storing and managing information relating to video / audio contents together with information on space and time when the provision of the contents is effective. The information storage unit 22, the content information search unit 23 for searching information stored in the content information storage unit 22, and switching (selecting) the content to be distributed according to the position of the user terminal 3 and the current time to distribute. It has a content distribution control unit 24, and the user terminal 3 has a content reception / reproduction unit 31 for receiving and reproducing content.

Next, an operation related to distribution of video / audio contents will be described.

When the user operates the user terminal 3, a video distribution is requested from the content reception / reproduction unit 31 to the content distribution control unit 24 of the information relay server 2.

The content distribution control unit 24 obtains the position information of the user terminal 3 by the position information obtaining unit 21, and uses the obtained position of the user terminal 3 and the current time as search conditions to set the content information search unit 23. Thus, information on the video / audio content that meets the conditions is obtained. The search result includes information necessary for delivering the video / audio content to the user terminal 3, for example, the location of the content, the effective space of the content, and the effective time.

The content distribution control unit 24 also
One of a plurality of video / audio contents obtained by the search is selected, connected to the information transmission server 1 which is the source of the content via a network, and the data of the content is received. The transmitted data is transmitted to the user terminal 3.

Thereafter, upon the end of data reception or the lapse of time, content selection and data reception / transmission are executed. In addition, the content information search and the subsequent processing are executed with the update of the position information.

On the other hand, in the user terminal 3, the content distribution / reproduction unit 31 reproduces the video distributed from the information relay server 2.

As described above, a plurality of contents suitable for the position of the user terminal 3 and the current time are selected from a group of video / audio contents scattered on the network, and the selected contents are sequentially and continuously delivered. It becomes possible.

[0034]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment] FIG. 5 shows a system configuration of a first embodiment of the present invention.

The information transmission server 7 is a computer having a video distribution server 71 for transmitting stored content or live video / audio to the user terminal 8 or another server, or encoding live video / audio and performing video distribution. A computer having a function of sending to the server 71, or
Device, and can be implemented by conventional techniques.

The user terminal 8 includes a client program 81 for reproducing a video / audio stream received via a network, and is a terminal capable of acquiring position information of the user terminal 8. In this embodiment, the position information is acquired by a combination of a personal computer and a PHS capable of using the position information service. The location information service is a service that specifies the location of a PHS terminal from the location information of nearby wireless base stations and provides the location information of the PHS terminal to the user himself or a third party. In this embodiment, a service for providing the position information of the PHS terminal to a third party is used.

The information relay server 9 of this embodiment includes a content information management system 91 for managing content information, a video relay control program 92 for controlling content to be distributed according to position and time, and a client program (user terminal). , A video distribution program 93 for distributing a video / audio stream received from the video relay control program 92 to a client (user terminal) in response to a request from the video relay control program 92, and a content management for registering, changing, and deleting information in the content information management system 91. It is a computer having a program 94.

In this embodiment, as the above-mentioned content information management system 91, a plurality of directory servers 95 store content location, access and attribute information.
0-277909 "). In the present embodiment, it is possible to associate one video / audio content with one entry on the directory tree, and classify and hierarchically manage the content information. Information such as the location information and name of the content is managed as attributes, and information on the space and time when the provision of the content is effective (effective space information,
Effective time information) is also managed as an attribute.

FIG. 6 shows an example of management information managed by the content information management system according to the first embodiment of this invention.

In the management information, information on contents such as a location and a name is managed together with an effective space range and an effective time range regarding provision of contents. In the present embodiment, the effective space range is represented as a rectangular range determined by four latitudes: north latitude, south latitude, east longitude, and west longitude. Further, the valid time range is represented by a set of a start time and an end time.

The content information registration program 94 is for registering, changing, and deleting information in the content information management system 91. The information sender transmits the information, the location, the name, etc. relating to the video / audio contents to the effective space. This is a means to obtain information on the range and effective time range. In order to input the effective space range, a method of presenting a map and designating a range on the map, and inputting an address and managing the content by the content information registration program 94, by the correspondence information between the address and the well route range, There is a way to determine.

The procedure for distributing video / audio contents to the client program of the user terminal 8 will be described.

The user operates the user terminal 8 to specify a specific U
By inputting the RL, the client program is started, and the client program requests the video distribution program 93 of the information relay server 9 for video distribution.

Upon receiving the request, the video distribution program 93
The user ID and password are requested from the user terminal 8 and collated. The user is identified by a method such as specifying the user ID from the network address, and the video relay control program 92 is started by passing the user identification information.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the video relay control according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The video relay control program 92 first obtains the user terminal identification information (PHS number) from the user identification information with reference to the user table (not shown) (step 101), and the location information service center. 10. The latitude and longitude at which the position information of the user terminal 8 exists are obtained from 10 (step 102).

Next, the acquired content information management system 91 uses the latitude, longitude, and current time as search parameters.
(Step 103). For example, if the latitude of the user terminal 8 is Y, the longitude is X, and the current time is T, the south latitude, the north latitude, the west longitude, the east longitude, the start time, and the end time, which are the attributes of the content information, are: South latitude ≤
Content information that satisfies Y ≦ north latitude (in the case of northern hemisphere), west longitude ≦ X ≦ east longitude (in case of eastern hemisphere), and satisfies start time ≦ T ≦ end time is searched.

Next, a list of video contents to be relayed is created from the result obtained by the search (step 104). When the list is created, weighting is performed based on information such as the size of the effective range, the reproduction time, the end time of the effective time range, and the like, and the priority of the relay is set. Next, from the list of video contents to be relayed created in the above-described procedure, the top content in the list is selected, and location information, content type (storage type / live type), and end time information are transmitted to the relay target content. (Step 105). In addition, when the information is relayed in order and makes a round, the information of the selected content is moved from the top of the list to the bottom in order to reuse it. Next, for the content set as the relay target content in the above-described procedure, the content server connects to the transmission server based on the location information (step 106), receives the actual data of the content, and transmits the received data to the video distribution server. (Step 107).

With the above procedure, distribution of the content to the user terminal 8 for the first content is started.

Thereafter, with the completion of the data reception or the completion of the predetermined time, the selection of the content and the subsequent data reception / transmission are repeatedly executed, whereby a plurality of contents are continuously distributed.

Further, by acquiring the position information of the user terminal 8 at a fixed time interval by the timer processing, the content to be distributed changes according to the change of the position of the user.

FIG. 8 shows an example of conversion of distribution contents.
This will be described with reference to FIG.

It is assumed that the effective space and effective time of the contents are set as shown in FIG. 8 and registered in the contents information management system 91. It is assumed that the position acquisition interval is 15 minutes and the user has moved from A to B to C.

At the point A (time 16:50), the contents are valid. For example, the contents are presented in the order of →→→→. At the point B, the content is valid, and the content is presented as →→→. At the point C (time 17:20), the contents are valid, and are presented in the order of, for example, →→→→.

[Second Embodiment] In the above-described first embodiment, the position of the user terminal is detected by the information relay server, but in the present embodiment, the position is detected by the user terminal. Will be described.

As methods for performing position detection on the user terminal side, there are a method using GPS (Global Positioning System) and a method for obtaining information on the self-position of the user terminal using PHS.

In this embodiment, a case where GPS is used will be described.

FIG. 9 shows a system configuration according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

The system shown in the figure is a configuration in which a user terminal 8 equipped with a GPS realizes a system similar to the first embodiment. The first embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the location registration program 82 is a location registration means for registering the user terminal location in the information relay server 9 in the user terminal 8.
The information relay server 9 has a user terminal position information table 97 for storing the user position in association with the terminal position registration from the user terminal 8, and a video relay control program 9
2 in that a location information management program 96 for returning a user location in response to an inquiry from the user 2 is provided.

The position information of the user terminal 8 obtained by the position registration program 82 of the user terminal 8 is stored in the user terminal position information table 97 as a table for associating the user identification information with the position information, and the image is relayed. It is used in the position detection stage of the control program 92.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to select and provide contents to be provided by using an effective space and time for providing information. For example, in a limited space such as an amusement park, a park is opened. It is possible to provide useful information to the user terminal only during the time when the user terminal is operating.

In the above embodiment, a portable terminal is assumed, but the user terminal is not limited to the portable terminal. In addition, even with a fixed terminal that does not have a position detection function, it is possible to provide content according to position and time by presenting a map and specifying a position or specifying a position from an address. Become.

In the above embodiment, the program shown in FIGS. 3 and 9 is stored in a disk device connected to a computer used as the relay server, or in a portable storage such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk or CD-ROM. The present invention can be easily realized by storing it in a medium and installing it when implementing the present invention.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and applications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0066]

As described above, according to the present invention, video and audio contents suitable for a position and time are selected from contents distributed on a network and are continuously delivered to users. Can be.

Also, according to the present invention, the information sender
Video / audio content can be transmitted without preparing a WW page.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the principle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a principle configuration diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a system outline of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a system configuration diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a system configuration diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an example of management information managed by the content information management system according to the first embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of video relay control according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an example of a change in distribution content according to a change in position according to the first embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 9 is a system configuration diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Information transmission server 2 Information relay server 3 User terminal 7 Information transmission server 8 User terminal with PHS data communication function 9 Information relay server 10 Location information service center 21 Location information acquisition means, location information acquisition section 22 Content information storage means, Content information storage unit 23 Content information search unit, Content information search unit 24 Content distribution control unit, Content distribution control unit 31 Content reception / reproduction unit, Content reception / reproduction unit 71 Video distribution server 81 Video distribution client 82 Location registration program 91 Content information management System 92 Video relay control program 93 Video distribution program 94 Content information registration program 95 Content information database 96 Location information management program 97 User terminal location information table

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G10K 15/02 G10K 15/02 H04N 7/173 610 H04N 7/173 610Z F-term (Reference) 5B049 BB61 CC02 CC31 DD05 EE01 EE07 FF03 FF04 FF06 FF09 GG04 GG06 GG07 5C064 BA07 BC10 BC18 BC20 BD02 BD03 BD08

Claims (9)

[Claims] An information transmission server capable of transmitting video / audio content to a network, a relay server for relaying video / audio content, and a user terminal capable of receiving / reproducing video / audio content. A video / audio distribution method for distributing the video / audio content via the relay server in the video / audio distribution system, wherein the relay server acquires the position of the user terminal, Is stored and managed together with the effective space information of the space in which the provision of the content is effective, and the effective time information of the effective time, and based on the position and the current time acquired from the user terminal, Information is searched from the stored information, and based on the content information, the position of the user terminal and the current Video / audio, wherein a plurality of contents adapted to different times are selected, and the contents obtained by requesting from the server or from the information transmitting server are sequentially and continuously delivered to the user terminal. Delivery method. 2. The video server according to claim 1, wherein in the relay server, the position of the user terminal is detected in the own server or acquired from the user terminal.
Audio distribution method. 3. The video server according to claim 1, wherein the relay server obtains information on video / audio content, valid space information for providing the content, and valid time information from the information sender, and selects the content.
Audio distribution method. 4. It has a plurality of information transmission servers capable of transmitting video / audio content to a network, a relay server for relaying video / audio content, and content receiving / reproducing means capable of receiving / reproducing video / audio content. A video / audio distribution system including a user terminal, wherein the relay server is effective in providing position information obtaining means for obtaining position information of the user terminal, and providing information on the video / audio content. Content information storage means for storing together with the effective space information of the space which is the effective time information of the effective time, the position information obtained by the position information obtaining means the information stored in the content information storage means, Content information search means to be searched based on time, and search by the content information search means Video / audio, comprising: content distribution control means for selecting content adapted to the position of the user and the current time based on the obtained content information and sequentially and continuously distributing the content to the user terminal. Delivery system. 5. The video / audio distribution system according to claim 4, wherein said position information acquiring means includes means for detecting the position of said user terminal in its own server, or means for acquiring from said user terminal. 6. The video / audio distribution system according to claim 4, wherein said content information storage means uses information on video / audio content, effective space information of content provision, and effective time information obtained from an information sender. 7. A storage medium storing a video / audio content distribution program for selectively relaying video / audio content, wherein: a location information acquisition process for acquiring location information of a user terminal; Using the current time as a search condition, a search process for searching for content information including valid space information and valid time information on content that meets the condition, and selecting content to be relayed based on the content information obtained in the search process A storage medium storing a video / audio content distribution program, comprising: a content selection process to be performed; and a relay process of receiving data of the selected content and relaying the data to the user terminal. 8. The video / audio distribution program according to claim 7, wherein said location information acquisition process includes means for detecting a location of said user terminal in its own server, or a process for acquiring from said user terminal. Storage media. 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the selection process includes a process of selecting content to be relayed based on information on video / audio content, effective space information of content provision, and effective time information acquired from an information sender. Storage medium storing the video / audio distribution program.