JP2009267634A - Terminal device and transmission control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simply improve a processing capacity for content selection such as a terminal list display capability or the like when selecting content accumulated within a terminal by list display or the like. <P>SOLUTION: The terminal device and the transmission control method are applied to a terminal for executing client processing and server processing. As for the client processing, control is exerted to receive content data stored at other terminals through communication with other terminals. As for the server processing, control is exerted to transmit content data stored at own terminal to other terminals. As for further server processing, control is exerted to transmit content data received through the client processing and stored at other terminals to the other terminals. Thus, provision of content stored at specific terminals can be controlled through server processing and client processing other than the specific terminal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is, for example, a terminal device suitable for application to a terminal device having a data transmission function for a method of exchanging content data by connecting to a network called a DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) method, and its The present invention relates to a transmission control method applied to a terminal device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various electronic devices such as mobile phone terminals and portable music playback devices that can reproduce various contents such as audio data and video data held by the devices have been put into practical use. When playing back on these devices, display the stored content list on the display panel of the device, and from the displayed list, the user gives instructions such as songs to play by key operation etc. What is performed is a general reproduction operation.

  The display format of the list depends on the data added to the content held by the device and the capability of the device. That is, if there is a song name display capability and song name data is added to the stored audio data, a list of song names can be displayed. Even if the song name can be displayed, the song name cannot be displayed if the song data is not added to the stored audio data. On the contrary, even if there are various additional data such as album titles and performers, if only the song title can be displayed as the list display capability on the device to be played back, it is impossible to play back these additional data.

  On the other hand, in recent years, a method of exchanging content data such as audio data and video data between a plurality of devices using a network such as a wireless LAN capable of transmitting data within a limited range such as home. As a matter of fact, the DLNA method has been put into practical use. As contents that can be transmitted by the DLNA method, various contents such as still image data can be applied in addition to audio data and video data.

  A configuration for performing data transmission by the DLNA method requires a transmission-side terminal that holds content data and sends the held content data, and a reception-side terminal that receives the sent content data. . The transmitting terminal functions as a server, and the receiving terminal functions as a client. In the following description, the transmitting terminal is also referred to as a server terminal, and the receiving terminal is also referred to as a client terminal.

  The server terminal creates a content list for displaying a list of content data held in its own terminal on the partner terminal, and transmits the created content list to the client terminal. The client terminal displays the content list based on the received content list data. A user who operates the client terminal looks at the displayed content list and selects content to be reproduced or displayed. When there is content selection at the client terminal, the selection instruction is transmitted to the server terminal, the content data specified at the server terminal is read out and transmitted from the server terminal, and the transmitted content data is received at the client terminal Is done. When content data is received at the client terminal, the received content is reproduced and displayed.

  When contents are exchanged by the DLNA method, the display form of the contents list depends on the performance of the server terminal. That is, in the case of the DLNA method, a process of transmitting a content list created at the server terminal to the client terminal and displaying the content list received at the client terminal is executed.

Patent Document 1 discloses a system configuration that transmits content data from a server to a client using the DLNA method.
JP 2006-345306 A

  As described above, when a list of contents is displayed in various electronic devices, the list is displayed in a format depending on the list display capability of the device. Therefore, for example, even if the same music data is downloaded to the mobile phone terminal, if the list display capability is different, the display format of the downloaded song list will be different for each mobile phone terminal.

  By using the DLNA method described above, it is not necessary for the device itself to create the received content list, so that the advanced level depends on the capability of the server terminal regardless of the problem of the list creation capability of the device itself. There is a possibility that a simple content list can be displayed.

  However, in the case of a network transfer method such as the DLNA method, what can be displayed in a list is a list of contents stored on the server side, and when displaying a list of contents stored in its own device, It is impossible to display a list that exceeds the ability to create a list.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and in the case of selecting content stored in a terminal by list display or the like, processing capability for content selection such as a list display capability of the terminal itself is simplified. The purpose is to improve.

  The present invention is applied to a terminal that executes client processing and server processing. As the client process, control is performed to communicate with other terminals and receive content data stored in the other terminals. As server processing, communication with another terminal is performed, and control is performed to transmit content data stored in the terminal itself to the other terminal. Further, as server processing, control is performed to transmit to the other terminal the content data received by the client processing and stored in the other terminal.

  According to the present invention, content data stored in another terminal is transmitted to the other terminal by executing server processing for transmitting the content data stored in the other terminal received by the client process to the other terminal. It becomes possible to present to other terminals by processing. Therefore, the content stored in a specific terminal can be presented by controlling the terminal that performs server processing and client processing other than the specific terminal.

  According to the present invention, it becomes possible to present content stored in a specific terminal by controlling a terminal that performs server processing and client processing other than the specific terminal, and has advanced functions that depend on the function of the controlling terminal. Content presentation processing is possible.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a network configuration using a mobile phone terminal, which is a wireless communication terminal configured to be small in size for portable use.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a network.
In the present embodiment, a first terminal 1 and a second terminal 2 configured as a mobile phone terminal having a wireless LAN communication function are prepared. Each of the terminals 1 and 2 is configured to perform short-range wireless communication using the access point 4 for wireless LAN as a base station. The short-range wireless communication here is, for example, a distance up to a radius of about 100 m centering on the installation position of the access point 4, and generally a short-range wireless communication at a distance of about several meters to about 10 m. Is assumed.

The access point 4 for wireless LAN is connected to, for example, a personal computer device 3, and a network in which the personal computer device 3 and the terminals 1 and 2 can mutually transfer data is configured.
Here, the first terminal 1 and the second terminal 2 of this example are configured to be able to transfer content data in accordance with the DLNA scheme. In particular, each of the terminals 1 and 2 is configured to have a server function and a client function in the DLNA system. That is, it has a server function capable of sending content data held in its own terminal to the network, and further has a client function capable of receiving content data sent from the partner terminal to the network. A specific configuration example of each of the terminals 1 and 2 will be described later.

  The personal computer device 3 is also configured to be able to transfer content data compliant with the DLNA method. With this configuration, for example, content data such as music data and image data stored by the personal computer device 3 itself is wirelessly transmitted via the access point 4 in a procedure based on the DLNA method. The data can be transferred to the terminal 2 for reproduction and display. Even between the terminal 1 and the terminal 2, the content data held by one terminal can be transferred to another terminal.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a mobile phone terminal that constitutes each of the terminals 1 and 2.
As shown in FIG. 1, the mobile phone terminal includes a control unit 11, and this control unit 11 controls the processing operation of each unit in the mobile phone terminal. The control unit 11 exchanges data with each unit in the terminal via the control line 28. The control unit 11 of this example is provided with a DLNA processing unit 11a that performs control for transferring content data in accordance with the DLNA method described above. Although details of the DLNA processing unit 11a will be described later, in this example, both a server control processing unit and a client control processing unit are provided. However, in the case of the present embodiment, it is assumed that the DLNA processing unit 11a included in the control unit 11 of the two terminals 1 and 2 shown in FIG. Here, it is assumed that the terminal 1 has a higher function as a transfer function in the DLNA scheme than the terminal 2.

  The cellular phone terminal according to the present embodiment includes a wireless telephone communication unit 12 that performs wireless communication processing necessary as a communication terminal, and an antenna 13 is connected to the wireless telephone communication unit 12. This radiotelephone 12 for radiotelephone performs radio communication with the base station for radiotelephone and performs bidirectional data transmission with the base station. The wireless telephone communication unit 12 sends the data received from the base station side to each unit in the terminal via the data line 29. Also, the data transmitted from each unit 17 in the terminal via the data line 29 is transmitted to the base station side.

In addition to the radio telephone communication unit 12, a memory 14, a display unit 15, an audio processing unit 17, and a music reproduction processing unit 21 are connected to the data line 29. The memory 14 stores a program necessary for operating the terminal according to the present embodiment, various data stored by the user, and the like. The memory 14 also stores content data such as music data and image data obtained by downloading.
As the display unit 15, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like is used as a display unit, and various information is displayed under the control of the control unit 11.
The operation unit 16 includes dial keys such as numbers and symbols necessary for a mobile phone terminal, various function keys, and the like. The operation information of each key constituting these operation units 16 is supplied to the control unit 11. When performing various setting operations, for example, a display for guiding the operation is performed on the display unit 15, and the user performs an operation on the operation unit 16 according to the display, and corresponding settings are performed.

  The audio processing unit 17 is a processing unit that processes audio signals, and is connected to a speaker 18 and a microphone 19. The speaker 18 and the microphone 19 are used as a receiver during a call. That is, the audio data supplied from the radio telephone communication unit 12 to the audio processing unit 17 is demodulated by the audio processing unit 17 into an analog audio signal, and is subjected to analog processing such as amplification and emitted from the speaker 18. Further, the audio signal collected by the microphone 19 is modulated into digital audio data by the audio processing unit 17, and the modulated audio data is supplied to the radio telephone communication unit 12 for radio transmission and the like.

In addition, the mobile phone terminal of the present embodiment includes a music reproduction processing unit 21. The music reproduction processing unit 21 is a processing unit that performs processing for reproducing music data stored in the memory 14 in the terminal and music data transferred from the outside.
The audio signal generated by the music reproduction processing unit 21 is output from the two speakers 22L and 22R for the left and right channels built in the mobile phone terminal body, and headphones (not shown) connected to the output terminal 23. ) May be output.
In addition, when outputting from the headphones, in addition to the case where the headphones are directly connected to the output terminal 23 and the so-called wired connection, the headphones and the wireless communication are performed by, for example, the Bluetooth (registered trademark) method or the wireless LAN method described below. It is good also as a structure which incorporates the near field communication part which communicates, and supplies an audio | voice signal to headphones via the near field communication part.

  The mobile phone terminal according to the present embodiment also includes a wireless LAN unit 24 that is a short-range wireless communication unit. The wireless LAN unit 24 performs wireless communication conforming to a wireless LAN standard such as IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11b method. An antenna 25 that performs transmission and reception is connected to the wireless LAN unit 24. The wireless LAN unit 24 is used when performing wireless communication with other terminals and devices in the network system shown in FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of the DLNA processing unit 11a included in the control unit 11 in the terminals 1 and 2 configured as mobile phone terminals in this way. As described above, the DLNA processing unit 11a included in the first terminal 1 and the DLNA processing unit 11a included in the second terminal 2 have the same basic functions such as transfer of content data, but additional The first terminal 1 has a more advanced function. That is, the DLNA processing unit 11a of each terminal includes a server function unit and a function of sending content data to other terminals in accordance with a procedure based on the DLNA standard. In addition, the DLNA processing unit 11a of each terminal includes a client function unit, and has a function of receiving content data transmitted from other terminals in a procedure based on the DLNA standard. In the case of this example, the server function unit differs in the presentation format of the content list for displaying the list of contents that can be presented, and the functions necessary for creating the content list are different. For this reason, the display format of the content list when the content list is displayed on the terminal that receives the content data depends on the function of the server function unit of the transmitting terminal. That is, the display format of the content list is different between the case where the first terminal 1 is the sending terminal and the case where the second terminal 2 is the sending terminal.

  Further, the first terminal 1 has a function that allows the client function unit in the DLNA processing unit 11a to present the content presented from another terminal to the other terminal using the server function unit. Here, the other terminal received by the client function unit and the other terminal presented by the server function unit are the same terminal.

3A shows an example of the DLNA processing unit 11a of the first terminal 1, and FIG. 3B shows an example of the DLNA processing unit 11a of the second terminal 2. As described above, each DLNA processing unit 11a includes a server function unit and a client function unit, and can transmit content data to a network and receive content data via the network.
The configuration example of the DLNA processing unit 11a of the first terminal 1 shown in FIG. 3A will be described. In the DLNA processing unit 11a of the first terminal 1, the server function unit is used as a pseudo DLNA server of another terminal. It is configured to function. For this purpose, a DLNA dummy server function unit is provided. This DLNA dummy server function unit performs processing such as analyzing content that can be acquired by the client function unit from a content list or the like, or actually acquiring and analyzing content data in the client function unit. Based on the analysis result, a content list creation process is performed by a CDS (Content Directory Service) creation function unit.

As an analysis process in the CDS creation function unit, for example, based on a scale analysis of music data or an analysis of metadata attached to the music data, the genre or attribute of the music is analyzed, and based on the analysis result, Create a new content list. Alternatively, a more detailed content list may be created by searching the Internet using analysis results such as metadata to obtain more detailed data of music data.
The new content list obtained by these processes is presented to other terminals by the server function unit. The created content list may be displayed in its own terminal. Also, the DLNA dummy server function unit performs the process only when the terminal connected to the client function unit and the terminal connected to the server function unit (dummy server function unit) are the same terminal. Also good.

  Next, the configuration example of the DLNA processing unit 11a of the second terminal 2 shown in FIG. 3B will be described. In the DLNA processing unit 11a of the second terminal 2, the server function unit has a general content list. Is configured to perform the creation process. As a general content list creation process here, for example, a content list classified by performing artist search or the like is assumed.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, when the contents held by the second terminal 2 itself as a contents database are displayed as a list, the contents are displayed using the list creation function of the terminal 2 itself. Further, when a content list is displayed using the DLNA client function unit, a process of displaying the content list created by the server function unit of the partner terminal is executed.

  Next, referring to FIG. 4, an example of displaying content created by the content list creation function of the first terminal 1 and content created by the content list creation function of the second terminal 2 An example in which is displayed will be described. FIG. 4 shows an example in which the music data stored in each terminal is displayed as a content list. The same list display is also provided when a content list is presented to other terminals using the DLNA server function. It is assumed that it is performed at another terminal.

For example, in the case of the second terminal 2 having only a basic list creation function, it is displayed as shown in FIG. That is, a list of song numbers is displayed as a “music list”, and if each song has data such as a song name, the song number and the like are displayed following the number.
In the case of the first terminal 1 having a relatively advanced list creation function, a display as shown in FIG. 4B is possible. That is, as the “music list”, list display in various forms such as “album list”, “genre list”, and “TOP25” is performed, and by selecting the list of each form, each form is displayed. More detailed display such as song title is performed.
FIG. 4 conceptually shows that there is a difference between the lists displayed on the two terminals 1 and 2, and the specific list display is not limited to the example of FIG. Absent.

Next, in the system configuration shown in FIG. 2, an example of processing for selecting and playing back content in a state where the first terminal 1 and the second terminal 2 are connected to a wireless LAN network is shown in FIG. This will be described with reference to a sequence diagram.
The example of FIG. 5 is a processing example in which the content list held in the memory in the terminal 2 is displayed on the second terminal 2 having only a basic content list display function, and the content is selected and reproduced. It is. 5 is performed on the premise that each of the first terminal 1 and the second terminal 2 has a server function and a client function compliant with the DLNA standard. Further, the user operation is basically performed only by the second terminal 2, and no operation is particularly required on the first terminal 1 side.

  First, based on the operation of the user who owns the second terminal 2, the client function unit of the second terminal 2 executes a process of searching for the first terminal 1 having a server function (step S11). When the first terminal 1 is detected by this server search, the server function of the second terminal 2 is confirmed by the client function of the first terminal 1 (step S12). When it is confirmed that the server function is present, the content list display process different from the display process function of the second terminal is started on the display unit of the second terminal.

  When this process is started, the second terminal 2 uses the client function to display a screen for selecting a connection destination server, and displays the second terminal itself as one of the server candidates. (Step S13). The reason why the second terminal itself is one of the candidates is that the second terminal exists in the candidates sent from the server function of the first terminal.

  In the client function of the first terminal, an instruction is given to the server function of the second terminal, and the content list created in the second terminal is acquired (step S14). When the content list is acquired from the second terminal by the client function unit of the first terminal, the acquired content list data is transferred to the server function unit in the first terminal. The server function unit in the first terminal reconstructs the acquired content list by using the content list creation function prepared in the first terminal. By reconstructing this content list, it is possible to display an advanced content list.

In this state, it is assumed that the user's terminal is selected as a selection from the displayed server candidates by the operation of the second terminal by the user (step S15). At this time, the content list reconstructed in the first terminal is transmitted to the client function unit of the second terminal, and the corresponding content list is displayed on the display unit of the second terminal (step S16). The content displayed here is a list of content held in the second terminal.
The processing up to this point is related to the creation and display of the content list.

Next, with reference to FIG. 5, a process for selecting and playing back content based on the content list displayed in this way will be described.
A user who operates the second terminal looks at the content list display and performs an operation of selecting content (song or the like) to be reproduced from the list. When this operation is performed, data specifying the content selected by the operation is transmitted from the client function unit of the second terminal to the server function unit of the first terminal (step S17).

  When the data specifying the content is received by the server function unit of the first terminal, the client function unit of the first terminal is notified that the content has been specified. Then, the designated function is requested from the client function unit of the first terminal to the server function unit of the second terminal (step S18). Based on this request, the server function unit of the second terminal transmits the requested content data to the first terminal and receives it at the client function unit of the first terminal (step S19). The content data received by the first terminal is transmitted from the server function unit of the first terminal to the client function unit of the second terminal to distribute the content (step S20). Due to this distribution, the second terminal executes reproduction of the distributed content (that is, content held by the second terminal).

In this way, the content held by the second terminal can be presented on the second terminal using the content list created on the first terminal. That is, when displaying a list of contents held by the second terminal, even if it is a model that can only basically display a list of contents as shown in FIG. 4A, for example. As shown in FIG. 4B, it is possible to perform advanced display of another model.
In this case, if each of the first terminal and the second terminal has both a server function unit and a client function unit compliant with the DLNA standard, it can be dealt with. In particular, the second terminal, which is a terminal that is operated by a user to perform playback or the like, can cope with any general terminal having a server function unit and a client function unit that comply with the DLNA standard. In order to perform the processing according to the present embodiment, the pseudo server function shown in FIG. 3 is necessary on the first terminal side to show the second terminal as a candidate. The client in the first terminal Since only data is exchanged with the functional unit server functional unit, it can be handled relatively easily.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it goes without saying that other modifications and application examples are included without departing from the gist of the present invention. Yes.
In the examples of FIGS. 4 and 5, the example of the process of reproducing the music data held by the terminal has been described, but the present invention can also be applied to other content data processes. For example, when reproducing video data or displaying still image data, the present invention can be applied to processing for reconstructing and displaying a content list suitable for each data.
For example, when the content is a still image captured by a camera, the content list may be reconstructed and displayed by various factors such as the date and time when the still image was captured and the shooting location.

In the above-described embodiments, the DLNA function unit built in the terminal device configured as a mobile phone terminal has been described as a process of transferring data between two terminals. The present invention can be applied to various information processing apparatuses having other configurations. For example, the personal computer device 3 shown in the system configuration of FIG. 2 may perform a pseudo server process instead of the first terminal 1 to reconstruct the content list.
In addition, as for data transfer between terminals, an example using a wireless communication network using a wireless LAN has been described. However, other communication networks may be used. Furthermore, the DLNA standard has been applied as the content data transmission procedure. However, if the server terminal side presents a content list and the client terminal performs transmission processing for selecting content based on the content list, the other procedures are performed. Data transfer standards may be applied.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration example in which the pseudo server function unit is incorporated in the control unit of the terminal device (mobile phone terminal) has been described. For example, the pseudo server function unit described in the above-described embodiment Each process for executing the above process may be converted into a program (software), and the program may be installed and executed in the terminal device. The program may be recorded on various media and distributed to users, or downloaded to a terminal via the Internet or the like.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the mobile telephone terminal to which one embodiment of this invention is applied. It is explanatory drawing which shows the system configuration example by one embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of a functional configuration example of a DLNA processing unit in each terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of a display in each terminal by one embodiment of this invention. It is a sequence diagram which shows the example of a process between the two terminals by one embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... 1st terminal, 2 ... 2nd terminal, 3 ... Personal computer apparatus, 4 ... Access point, 11 ... Control part, 11a ... DLNA processing part, 12 ... Communication part, 13 ... Antenna, 14 ... Memory, 15 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Display part, 16 ... Operation part, 17 ... Sound processing part, 18 ... Speaker, 19 ... Microphone, 21 ... Music reproduction part, 22L, 22R ... Speaker, 23 ... Output terminal, 24 ... Wireless LAN part, 25 ... Antenna

Claims (5)

A communication unit that communicates with other terminals;
A storage unit for storing content data;
A client function unit that functions as a client that performs control to receive content data stored in another terminal by communication in the communication unit;
The communication unit functions as a server for performing control to transmit the content data stored in the storage unit in its own terminal to other terminals, and is controlled by the client function unit. A terminal device comprising: a server function unit that functions as a server that causes the other terminal to transmit the received content data stored in the storage unit of the other terminal. The terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising a radio telephone communication unit different from the communication unit, wherein the radio telephone communication unit performs radio communication with a radio telephone base station. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the other terminal that stores the content data transmitted by the server function unit and the other terminal that transmits the content data are the same terminal. The terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the server function unit creates a list of contents that can be transmitted in a set format, and transmits the created list to a receiving terminal. A client process that performs control to communicate with other terminals and receive content data stored in other terminals;
Communicating with other terminals to control the content data stored in its own terminal to be transmitted to other terminals, and receiving the content data stored in the other terminals received by the client process, A transmission control method that executes server processing for performing control to be transmitted to another terminal.

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