JP2004328655A - Home network apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a home network apparatus with which a system including output devices the number of which is larger than that of input resources can be easily constructed and operability in input resource selection can be improved. <P>SOLUTION: An output switching part 16 inputs receiver channel flags (Flag-1, Flag-2, ..., Flag-m) indicating receiver channels from tuners 11-1, 11-2, ..., 11-m and recognizes at all the time the tuner that receives a broadcast and the channel of which the broadcast is received. When a request accepted from an output device control part 15-j of a certain output device 14-j ((j)=1, 2, ..., n) is a request of a program that is supplied to the other output device, the program supplied to the other output device is distributed to the output device 14-j of which the request is accepted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a home network device suitable for a home network environment in which a large number of users share resources.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an AV (audio / video) network system including a plurality of tuners, there is a system technology capable of displaying list information summarizing reception states of tuners usable by a user on a display device and providing the list information to the user. It is provided (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[0003]
However, in this type of conventional system technology, the user needs to visually recognize the list information to recognize and grasp the situation, and there is an operability problem that the user cannot grasp the situation easily and quickly. .
[0004]
In a device having input resources such as a plurality of television tuners and video input means, programs for the number of input resources can be viewed simultaneously. In this type of home network environment, a system configuration having more display devices than the number of input resources can be considered. In such a system configuration, when a plurality of viewers try to use the output from the input resource simultaneously on different display devices, a resource shortage occurs and a problem that a requested program cannot be viewed occurs.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-2002-77757
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, conventionally, in an AV network system including a plurality of tuners, a system technology capable of displaying list information summarizing reception states of tuners usable by a user on a display device and providing the list information to the user. However, in this method, it is necessary for the user to visually recognize the list information to recognize and grasp the situation, and there is a problem in operability that the user cannot grasp the situation easily and quickly. Further, in a home network environment having input resources such as a plurality of TV tuners and video input means, if a system configuration having a number of display devices greater than the number of input resources is provided, a plurality of viewers can simultaneously input on different devices. When trying to use the output from the resource, there is a problem that the resource is insufficient and the requested program cannot be viewed.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a home network device capable of easily constructing a system having more output devices than the number of input resources and improving operability of input resource selection. I do.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In the home network device of the present invention, when viewing the same program on different output devices, for example, the output from an input resource such as a TV tuner is shared and distributed to each output device. This prevents the input resources from being occupied redundantly when viewing the same program, so that another user can use the unoccupied input resources. When all input resources are used by a plurality of viewers, it is possible to select any output from all the input resources.
[0009]
In the present invention, a home network device having such functions is provided with a plurality of program acquisition devices for acquiring program information, a plurality of output devices for outputting program information acquired by the program acquisition device, and the output device. A program supply unit for receiving a program reception request from the device, acquiring program information according to the request from the program acquisition device, and supplying the program information to an output device of a request source, the program supply unit comprising: Means for distributing and supplying the program information supplied to the other output device to the output device receiving the request when the request received from the output device is a request for program information supplied to another output device. Is realized by providing the following.
[0010]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0011]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a home network device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of tuners for receiving a television broadcast are assumed as input resources.
[0012]
The home network device shown in FIG. 1 includes a plurality of (m) tuners 11-1, 11-2,..., 11-m, and signal extraction units 12-1, 12-2,. , 12-m, and output processing units 13-1, 13-2,..., 13-m, and the number (n) of output devices 14-1, 14-2,. ., 15-n, and an output switching unit 16.
[0013]
The tuners 11-1, 11-2,..., 11-m are a plurality of TV tuners capable of individually receiving arbitrary channel programs. The signal extraction units 12-1, 12-2,..., 12-m amplify the high frequency video signals extracted from the tuners 11-1, 11-2,. The output processing units 13-1, 13-2,..., 13-m are video output signals that can be distributed and output based on the signals output from the signal extraction units 12-1, 12-2,. And an audio output signal.
[0014]
, 14-n output the video and audio of the broadcast program received by the tuner 11-i (i = 1, 2,... M) via the output switching unit 16, respectively. And a monitor device or a receiver. The output device control units 15-1, 15-2,..., 15-n are operating devices (for example, wireless remote controllers) provided in association with the output devices 14-1, 14-2,. Here, a request for a reception channel is made to the output switching unit 16.
[0015]
The output switching unit 16 includes m A / V signal input terminals to which the output processing units 13-1, 13-2,... 13-m are connected, and output devices 14-1, 14-2,. Are connected to the A / V signal output terminals, and the tuners 11-1, 11-2 in response to a channel request (CS) from the output device control units 15-1, 15-2,..., 15-n. ,... 11-m and its receiving channel are selectively controlled, and the video and audio signals (A / V signal) input from the A / V signal input terminal are output to the A / V signal output terminal, A / V signal of the received program is supplied to the output device.
[0016]
At this time, the output switching unit 16 inputs the reception channel flags (Flag-1, Flag-2,... Flag-m) indicating the reception channels from the tuners 11-1, 11-2,. It always recognizes which tuner is receiving which broadcast. When the request received from the output device control unit 15-j of a certain output device 14-j (j = 1, 2,... N) is a request for a program supplied to another output device, Is distributed to the output device 14-j that has received the request.
[0017]
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing for sharing input resources in the home network device of the embodiment.
[0018]
The home network device shown in FIG. 1 executes a process of sharing input resources as shown in FIG. 2 when the system power is turned on (power is turned on).
[0019]
In the home network device, after turning on the power of the output device 14-j (step S1), when a channel request (CS) of the program to be viewed is issued from the output device control unit 15-j (step S2), The request is accepted by the output switching unit 16.
[0020]
The output switching unit 16 receives the reception channel flags (Flag-1, Flag-2,... Flag-m) indicating the reception channels from the tuners 11-1, 11-2,. It always recognizes whether the broadcast of the channel is received.
[0021]
When the output switching unit 16 receives the request (CS) from the output device control unit 15-j, the output switching unit 16 refers to the reception channel flags (Flag-1, Flag-2,... Flag-m) to determine the request (CS). ) Is received by any of the tuners 11-1, 11-2,... 11-m, that is, the A / V signal of the program according to the request (CS) is already sent to another output device. It is checked whether it is being supplied (step S11).
[0022]
Here, if none of the tuners 11-1, 11-2,... 11-m has received a program according to the request (CS) from the output device control section 15-j, that is, the output device 14-1 , 14-2,..., 14-n are not watching the program in accordance with the request (CS) from the output device control unit 15-j (step S11 NO), the tuners 11-1, 11-2. ,..., 11-m, the receiving channel according to the request (CS) is set to the unused tuner 11-i, and the A / V signal of the program received by the tuner 11-i is set to The output is supplied to the output device 14-j having the output device control unit 15-j (step S13).
[0023]
When any of the tuners 11-1, 11-2,... 11-m is receiving a program according to the request (CS) from the output device control unit 15-j, that is, when the output device 14-j When any one of 1, 14-2,..., 14-n is watching a program according to the request (CS) from the output device control unit 15-j (step S11 YES), the A / V signal of the program is Is distributed to the output device 14-j having the output device control unit 15-j that has issued the request (CS) (step S12).
[0024]
When none of the tuners 11-1, 11-2,..., 11-m receives a program according to the request (CS) from the output device control unit 15-j, there is no unused tuner. In this case, for example, means for returning a message to that effect to the output device of the request source, means for temporarily supplying the program currently being received in accordance with a predetermined rule, or simply invalidating the request (CS) Means for doing so are conceivable.
[0025]
In this way, when the request received from the output device control unit 15-j of a certain output device 14-j is a request for a program being supplied to another output device, the output switching unit 16 outputs The program supplied to the device is distributed to the output device 14-j that has received the request.
[0026]
By distributing programs by sharing such input resources (tuners in this embodiment), programs can be provided to a large number (n) of output devices with a small number (m) of input resources.
[0027]
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the input resource is a TV tuner is taken as an example. However, other input resources, such as a playback device for a movie program, a playback device for a music program, a game supply system, etc. The present invention can be applied to a system for providing information to a plurality of output devices.
[0028]
【The invention's effect】
As described in detail above, according to the present invention, a system having more output devices than the number of input resources can be easily constructed, and the operability of input resource selection can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a home network device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a procedure of operation and processing in the embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
.. 11-m tuners (input resources), 12-1, 12-2,... 12-m signal extraction units, 13-1, 13-2,. .. 14-n output device, 15-1, 15-2,... 15-n output device control unit, 16 output switching unit.

Claims (5)

A plurality of program acquisition devices for acquiring program information;
A plurality of output devices for outputting program information acquired by the program acquisition device;
A program supply unit that receives a program reception request from the output device, acquires program information according to the request from the program acquisition device, and supplies the program information to the request source output device;
The program supply means, when the request received from the output device is a request for program information supplied to another output device, outputs the program information supplied to the other output device when the request is received. Home network equipment comprising means for distributing and supplying the equipment. The program supply means includes m sets of connection terminals to which the program acquisition device is connected and n sets of connection terminals to which the output device is connected, in a relationship of m <n. Item 2. The home network device according to item 1. The home network device according to claim 2, wherein the program acquisition device is a receiving device for receiving a television broadcast or a video reproducing device. 4. The home network apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the program supply unit receives a request for program information from an operation device attached to the output device, and issues an instruction to the program acquisition device according to the request. The program supply means inputs specific information indicating a program currently acquired from each of the program acquisition devices, constantly recognizes a program acquired by each of the program acquisition devices, and performs an operation associated with the output device. 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising means for, when receiving a request for program information from an apparatus, determining whether or not the request is a request for program information supplied to another output apparatus based on recognition of the specific information. Home network equipment.

Images