JP2009049498A - Control terminal, information apparatus, content providing device, apparatus control system, apparatus selecting method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a control terminal capable of performing control to select an information apparatus adapting to a content among the information apparatus of a room where a user exists only by selecting the content. <P>SOLUTION: The control terminal is provided, which notifies a content providing device of information of the content. The control terminal includes: an in-area communication part for performing access to the information apparatus in a spatial area where a self terminal exists; an apparatus information notification control part for controlling the information apparatus by using the in-area communication part, to notify of the information of the information apparatus; and an apparatus information notifying part for notifying the content providing device of the information of the information apparatus. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a control terminal, an information device, a content providing device, a device control system, a device selection method, and a program.

  In recent years, digitalization of information has progressed rapidly, and information equipment for handling digital information has rapidly spread to ordinary households. For example, a music player that reproduces music data recorded on a compact disc, a DVD player that reproduces a movie recorded on a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), and the like are already widely used on a global scale. In general households, photographs taken with a digital camera and digitally recorded television programs are stored and managed in a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a PC). However, it seems that stored images, videos, music information, and the like are not very effectively utilized besides personal viewing and enjoyment. For example, when a family member wants to watch video footage shot with a digital video camera, the video footage stored and managed on the hard disk of a personal computer can be played back on a large TV set in the living room. This requires a little troublesome preparation.

  In view of these circumstances, recently there has been a movement to formulate a standard related to information technology for realizing sharing of digital information (so-called home network) using wireless or wired communication in a general home. For example, a non-profit organization called DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) formed by participation of a plurality of companies related to manufacturing and sales of home appliances, mobile phones, PCs, and the like is a good example. According to this, an assumed home network is a server device (DMS; Digital Media Server) in which contents such as video and music are stored, and a player device (DMP: Digital Media Player) for reproducing these contents. The content is distributed from the DMS to the DMP based on a predetermined transmission method and format, and reproduction is executed.

  Furthermore, according to DLNA Guideline Version 1.5, in addition to the above-described 2BOX type home network configuration configured with DMS + DMP, a 3BOX type home network configuration configured with DMS + DMR (Digital Media Renderer) + DMC (Digital Media Controller) Is also envisaged. The DMR corresponds to, for example, a digital television or a digital audio device. The DMC is a controller that controls the DMS and the DMR. For example, a terminal device such as a mobile phone or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) can be used.

  As described above, a connection environment between devices installed in a home network is being prepared. However, nowadays, the number of devices installed in the home network is increasing, the burden on the user required to select desired content, and the user required to select a device suitable for playing the content. The burden of is increasing. At present, it is necessary to directly operate the DMP or to select a desired content from the contents stored in the DMS using the DMC or the like, and at the same time to specify a DMR for reproducing the contents. is there.

  In other words, a user who uses the current home network selects a DMP to be played back in advance, accesses the DMS, and selects the desired content, thereby playing back the content. For example, the following Patent Document 1 describes a configuration example in which content reproduction control is performed using a controller, but the above-described problems are not solved.

JP 2003-308119 A

  When the above operation is executed, the user needs to execute an operation such as a DMR start-up process or a DMS selection mode switching process for the DMS, so that the operation is complicated and places an extra burden on the user. In the first place, the user's desire is to reproduce the desired content, and he does not want to execute the operations related to the above-described processes. That is, these operations are merely operations that must be performed in order to use the content. Therefore, when content is designated by the user, it is highly desired to realize a system that automatically selects a DMP suitable for the content and starts reproduction by the DMP.

  Furthermore, since a dedicated controller (DMC) is provided for each DMP in the current system, it is necessary to execute a specific operation using a controller specialized for the DMP to be used. As a result, the user is required to learn the operation system for each DMP, and the home network itself has become a system system that is practically difficult to use. For this reason, the technology of automatically selecting and controlling information devices (corresponding to the DMP) in the area where the control terminal exists simply by specifying the desired content using the control terminal corresponding to the DMC. Development is required.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to perform control so that an information device in a space area where a control terminal is located is selected by a content providing apparatus. It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved control terminal, information device, content providing apparatus, device control system, device selection method and program.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, according to an aspect of the present invention, a control terminal that notifies content information to a content providing apparatus is provided. The control terminal controls the information device using the intra-region communication unit for accessing the information device in the spatial region in which the terminal is located, and notifies the information of the information device using the intra-region communication unit A device information notification control unit; and a device information notification unit that notifies the content providing apparatus of information on the information device, and the information device that matches the content is based on the information on the information device. The content providing apparatus is controlled so as to be selected from among information devices located within.

  The device information notifying unit may specify the space area based on the information on the information device notified to the content providing apparatus.

  The control terminal further includes a device registration control unit that registers the information device and the space area in association with each other as a registered device list based on the information on the information device notified by the device information notification unit. It may be.

  In addition, when registering the information device in the registered device list, the device registration control unit may register the type of content that can be reproduced by the information device in association with the information device.

  In addition, when registering a plurality of the information devices in the space area in the registered device list, the device registration control unit sends information device information notified before the registration process is completed in the space area. May be registered as a group corresponding to.

  In addition, when there are a plurality of information devices conforming to a certain type of content or signal format in the space area, the device registration control unit designates a priority for each information device and registers it in the registered device list. May be.

  In order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, an information device connected to a content providing apparatus through a network is provided. The information device receives information from the control terminal or the intra-region communication unit that receives access from the control terminal in the spatial region where the own device is located, and the control signal received by the intra-region communication unit. A device information notifying unit that notifies the content providing device, and the control device is configured to select an information device that matches content information specified by the control terminal from among information devices in the predetermined space area. The space area can be specified to the content providing apparatus by notifying information of the device according to the control signal transmitted when the terminal designates the content.

  In addition, the device information notification unit is configured to provide information on the device according to a control signal received by the intra-region communication unit so that the content providing device can associate the device with the space area and register it as a registered device list. May be notified.

  The device information notifying unit also associates information on the content type or signal format with the registered device list in order to associate the device with the content type or signal format that can be played back by the device. May be notified.

  The information device may further include a reproduction processing unit that reproduces content provided from the content providing apparatus in response to designation of content by the control terminal.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, content provision is provided to a control terminal and an information device through a network, and content is provided to the information device according to an instruction from the control terminal. An apparatus is provided. The content providing apparatus includes a device information acquisition unit that acquires information on the information device located in a space area where the control signal transmitted by the control terminal can be received, and the device information acquisition unit that acquires the information. Select an information device that provides content from an area specifying unit that specifies a spatial region in which the control terminal is located based on information on the information device, and an information device that is located within the spatial region specified by the region specifying unit And selecting an information device in the space area based on information on the information device notified from the information device in response to the control signal transmitted together with the content specification by the control terminal. It is characterized by doing.

In order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, a control terminal connected via a network, an information device, and a content provision that provides content to the information device in response to an instruction from the control terminal A device control system including the apparatus is provided.
Then, the control terminal controls the information device using the intra-region communication unit for accessing the information device in the spatial region where the terminal is located, and the intra-region communication unit. A device information notification control unit for notifying, and a device information notification unit for notifying the content providing apparatus of information on the information device.
In addition, the information device controls the information of the own device according to an in-region communication unit that receives access from the control terminal in the space region where the own device is located, and a control signal received by the in-region communication unit. A device information notifying unit for notifying a terminal or the content providing apparatus.
Furthermore, the content providing apparatus is acquired by a device information acquisition unit that acquires information on the information device located in a space area where the control signal transmitted by the control terminal can be received, and the device information acquisition unit. An area specifying unit that specifies a space area in which the control terminal is located based on the information of the information apparatus, and an information apparatus that provides content from the information apparatus located in the space area specified by the area specifying unit And a device selection unit for selecting.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, a predetermined information device is connected to a content providing apparatus according to an instruction from a control terminal, an information device, and the control terminal connected through a network. A device selection method for selection is provided. In the device selection method, the information device is controlled by the control terminal using an in-region communication unit for accessing the information device in the space region where the control terminal is located, and information on the information device is controlled by the control terminal. A device information notification control step notified to the terminal, a device information notification step in which information of the information device notified from the information device by the control terminal is notified to the content providing device, and the content providing device, Device information acquisition step in which information on the information device is acquired from the control terminal, and region specifying step in which a spatial region in which the control terminal is located is specified based on the information on the information device acquired in the device information acquisition step And a content designated by the control terminal from among information devices located in the spatial area specified by the area specifying unit. Information suitable equipment is characterized in that it comprises a and a device selection steps to be selected.

  In order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the control terminal, the information device, or the content providing apparatus. Further, a recording medium on which the program is recorded is provided.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to perform control so that the information providing device in the space area where the control terminal is located is selected by the content providing apparatus.

  Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in this specification and drawing, about the component which has the substantially same function structure, duplication description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol.

<First Embodiment>
First, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. In the present embodiment, when a user specifies content using the playback control terminal 100, a playback device 200 that matches the content is selected from the playback devices 200 installed in the space area in which the user is present and played back. It has a feature in the structure. In particular, there is a feature of the present embodiment in a technique for automatically detecting a space area where a user is present. Hereinafter, as one configuration example for realizing the technology according to the present embodiment, a device control system 1000 is specifically illustrated, and the functional configuration and processing of each component configuring the system are described with reference to the drawings. The flow will be described in detail.

[Configuration of Device Control System 1000]
First, a device control system 1000 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a device control system 1000 according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the device control system 1000 mainly includes a playback control terminal 100, a plurality of playback devices 200, and a content providing device 300. In the configuration example of FIG. 1, the device control system 1000 includes an access point 940 for the playback control terminal 100 to access the content providing apparatus 300. In addition, a part of the plurality of playback devices 200 (TV ₁ , Stereo ₁ ) is arranged in the room 1 (hereinafter, space area R ₁ ), and the other (TV ₂ , TV ₃ ) is placed in the room 2 (hereinafter, space area). R ₂ ). In the following description, the playback control terminal 100 is assumed to be located in the space region R _1.

(Reproduction device 200)
As shown in FIG. 1, the playback device 200 is connected to the content providing apparatus 300 via a network, and transmits information to the content providing apparatus 300 and acquires content provided from the content providing apparatus 300. can do. In addition, the plurality of playback devices 200 may be able to transmit and receive information to and from each other via a network. Furthermore, the playback device 200 includes a short-range communication unit 202, and can use this short-range communication unit 202 to receive a signal from a communication medium capable of transmitting information within a predetermined space area. This communication medium is, for example, infrared, millimeter wave, visible light, or sound wave. Such a communication medium cannot transmit information beyond the spatial region due to attenuation according to the distance from the transmission source, diffusion in the air, or impermeability to members that partition the spatial region.

(Reproduction control terminal 100)
The reproduction control terminal 100 can transmit information to the content providing apparatus 300 via the access point 940 or receive information from the content providing apparatus 300 via the network. The reproduction control terminal 100 is provided with a short-range communication unit 106, by using the short-range communication unit 106, the host terminal can transmit information to the playback device 200 in the spatial domain R ₁ located communication medium It is possible to transmit a signal via Therefore, the reproduction control terminal 100 can switch communication means according to the content of the signal to be transmitted. Note that the playback control terminal 100 may communicate with the playback device 200 through a network. In addition, the playback control terminal 100 includes an input unit 916 that receives a user's input operation and a display unit 112 for displaying a message or the like to the user.

(Content providing apparatus 300)
The content providing apparatus 300 is connected to the playback control terminal 100 and the playback device 200 through a network, and can provide content information to the playback control terminal 100 or provide the content itself to the playback device 200. Further, the content providing apparatus 300 may provide content to the playback device 200 and instruct the playback of the content. Furthermore, the content providing apparatus 300 holds, for example, moving image content, still image content, music content, and the like, and can provide these contents to the playback device 200. At that time, the content providing apparatus 300 selects the playback device 200 that matches the content to be provided, and provides the content to the selected playback device 200. These functions can be mainly realized by the management function block 310 included in the content providing apparatus 300.

  Note that the content providing apparatus 300 may be connected to an external network 932 (hereinafter, a wide area network). In this case, the content providing apparatus 300 acquires information (for example, meta information) related to the content held by the apparatus itself via the wide area network 932 or acquires the content itself via the wide area network 932. You can also. That is, the content providing apparatus 300 may be a broadcast receiving apparatus that receives broadcast content distributed via the wide area network 932 and provides it to the playback device 200, for example. In this case as well, various contents such as moving images, still images, and music can be handled.

  The system configuration of the device control system 1000 includes, for example, DMS (corresponding to the content providing device 300), DMR (corresponding to the playback device 200), DMC (corresponding to the playback control terminal 100) defined in DLNA Guideline Version 1.5. ) Is assumed to be realized using the function of Accordingly, the content providing apparatus 300, the playback device 200, and the playback control terminal 100 may each include some or all of the functions defined in the guidelines. The network connecting the playback control terminal 100 and the access point 940 may be, for example, a wireless network such as IEEE 802.11 or a wired network such as PLC (Power Line Communication).

(Usage form of device control system 1000)
Here, a specific usage form of the device control system 1000 will be briefly described.

  First, the user operates the operation unit of the reproduction control terminal 100 to select content desired to be reproduced. At this time, for example, a list of contents held by the content providing apparatus 300 is displayed on the display unit 112 of the reproduction control terminal 100. Therefore, the user can select desired content with reference to a list of contents displayed on the display unit 112. When the content is selected, the playback output of the content is obtained from the playback device 200 installed in the space area where the user is located (for example, a room), so that the user can enjoy the playback output. In this way, the user can obtain a reproduction output without performing a special operation on the reproduction device 200 when reproducing the content.

  Hereinafter, detailed functional configurations of the playback control terminal 100, the playback device 200, and the content providing apparatus 300 that can realize the above usage modes will be described.

[Functional configuration of playback control terminal 100]
First, the functional configuration of the playback control terminal 100 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a functional configuration of the playback control terminal 100 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the playback control terminal 100 mainly includes a control unit 102, a search command transmission unit 104, a short-range communication unit 106, a long-range communication unit 108, a device notification command reception unit 110, The display unit 112, the device registration command transmission unit 114, the priority setting unit 116, the content identification information notification unit 118, and the error processing unit 120 are configured. The search command transmission unit 104, the device notification command reception unit 110, the device registration command transmission unit 114, and the priority setting unit 116 may be collectively referred to as a device registration block. The search command transmission unit 104, the device notification command reception unit 110, the content identification information notification unit 118, and the error processing unit 120 may be collectively referred to as a reproduction control block. Further, although not clearly shown in the figure, a storage unit for storing the acquired information may be further provided.

<Device registration block>
First, each component included in the device registration block will be mainly described.

(Control unit 102)
The control unit 102 controls each component of the playback control terminal 100 according to (A) device registration operation or (B) content selection operation by the user. (A) The device registration operation is an operation for notifying the content providing apparatus 300 and registering the playback device 200 in the space area where the playback control terminal 100 (own terminal) is located. (B) The content selection operation is an operation for notifying the content providing apparatus 300 of the content selected by the user and controlling playback. The control unit 102 controls the operation of each component included in the device registration block in accordance with (A) device registration operation. In addition, the control unit 102 controls the operation of each component included in the playback control block in accordance with (B) content selection operation.

(Search command transmission unit 104 (A: device registration operation))
The search command transmission unit 104 is controlled by the control unit 102 and transmits a search command using the short-range communication unit 106 described later. However, the search command is a signal including address information used for the content providing apparatus 300 and each playback device 200 to access the playback control terminal 100 through the network. For example, the address information is the IP address of the playback control terminal 100 or the like. At this time, the search command transmission unit 104 transmits the search command once, or at a predetermined time interval or randomly. The search command transmission unit 104 causes the playback device 200 to notify the playback control terminal 100 or the content providing apparatus 300 of information for specifying the playback device 200 using the search command. That is, the search command transmission unit 104 is an example of a device information notification control unit.

(Near field communication unit 106)
The short-range communication unit 106 transmits a signal to a device arranged in a predetermined space area where the reproduction control terminal 100 is located. For example, the short-range communication unit 106 is a wireless communication unit that can transmit a signal using a communication medium such as infrared (Ir), millimeter wave, visible light, or sound wave. Therefore, the short-range communication unit 106 cannot transmit a signal to a device that exists outside the space area where the playback control terminal 100 is located. As a result, it is possible to specify that a device that can receive a signal transmitted by the short-range communication unit 106 is a device in the space area where the reproduction control terminal 100 is located. That is, the short-range communication unit 106 is an example of an intra-region communication unit.

(Long distance communication unit 108)
The long-distance communication unit 108 is a communication unit that forms a network for transmitting / receiving information to / from at least the playback device 200 and the content providing apparatus 300. For example, the long-distance communication unit 108 is configured by wireless communication means such as IEEE 802.11, and is connected to the content providing apparatus 300 via the access point 940 or the like. The long-distance communication unit 108 may be a communication unit for transmitting / receiving information to / from the content providing apparatus 300 via a wired network. Further, the long-distance communication unit 108 may be a communication unit capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from other devices or apparatuses located inside or outside the space area where the playback control terminal 100 is located.

(Device notification command receiving unit 110 (A: device registration operation))
The device notification command receiving unit 110 receives a device notification command to be described later via the long-distance communication unit 108. The device notification command is a signal transmitted to the playback control terminal 100 or the content providing device 300 by the playback device 200 that has received the search command, and the feature information of the device or ID information for specifying the device on the network. (For example, UUID defined by UPnP). The feature information is, for example, information including information such as the type and product number of the device, and is information that the user can refer to in order to specify the device. The device notification command receiving unit 110 can receive a device notification command transmitted from the playback device 200 in response to a search command transmitted from the terminal itself, or via the content providing apparatus 300. Then, the device notification command receiving unit 110 displays the feature information included in the received device notification command on the display unit 112 described later.

(Display unit 112)
The display unit 112 is a display unit for displaying a message or the like to the user. For example, the display unit 112 can display the feature information received by the device notification command receiving unit 110. For example, the display unit 112 displays information indicating the type of device such as “TV ₁ ” or “Stereo ₁ ”. Therefore, the user can perform a registration operation on the playback device 200 in a predetermined space area while referring to the content displayed on the display unit 112. At this time, the user confirms that all the playback devices 200 to be registered are displayed on the display unit 112 and executes an operation for completing registration. The display unit 112 can also display information of an error notification received by an error processing unit 120 described later.

(Device registration command transmitter 114)
The device registration command transmission unit 114 is controlled by the control unit 102 in response to a user registration completion operation, and transmits a device registration command to the content providing apparatus 300 using the long-distance communication unit 108. The device registration command includes ID information and feature information of the playback device 200 displayed on the display unit 112. The ID information may be, for example, address information such as an IP address. In the case of a device that supports DLNA Guideline, the IP address can be determined from the ID information (UUID) by using the UPnP Discovery function. is there. The device registration command transmission unit 114 can register the playback device 200 desired by the user in the content providing apparatus 300 using the device registration command. That is, the device registration command transmission unit 114 is an example of a device registration control unit or a device information notification unit.

(Priority setting unit 116)
The priority setting unit 116 sets a priority for the playback device 200 when there are a plurality of playback devices 200 of the same type in the space area where the playback control terminal 100 is located. For example, when there are a plurality of playback devices 200 capable of playing back the same type of content, the priority setting unit 116 changes the order of the playback devices 200 that play back that type of content preferentially in accordance with the user's setting operation. Set for each device. In a normal use situation, the user refers to a plurality of feature information displayed on the display unit 112 and designates the priority of each playback device 200 when there are a plurality of devices capable of playing the same type of content. However, the priority setting unit 116 may be configured to automatically determine the type of the playback device 200 and execute the priority setting. The priority setting unit 116 transmits the priority information to the device registration command transmission unit 114, and adds the priority information to the device registration command for transmission. That is, the priority setting unit 116 is an example of a device registration control unit.

《Playback control block》
Next, each component included in the playback control block will be mainly described. In addition, regarding the components included in common in the device registration block, mainly different functions will be described.

(Search command transmission unit 104 (B: content selection operation))
The search command transmission unit 104 is controlled by the control unit 102 that has received the user's content selection operation, and transmits a search command using the short-range communication unit 106. Then, the search command transmission unit 104 causes the playback device 200 in the space area where the playback control terminal 100 is located to notify the device notification command by the search command. For example, the search command transmission unit 104 causes the playback device 200 to transmit a device notification command to the own terminal or notify the content providing device 300 of the device notification command.

(Device notification command receiving unit 110 (B: content selection operation))
The device notification command receiving unit 110 receives a device notification command transmitted from the playback device 200 that has received the search command or a device notification command notified via the content providing apparatus 300. Then, the device notification command receiving unit 110 transmits the received device notification command to the content specifying information notification unit 118 described later.

(Content Specific Information Notification Unit 118)
The content specifying information notifying unit 118 notifies the content providing apparatus 300 of information for specifying the content specified by the user's content selection operation (hereinafter, content specifying information) via the long-range communication unit 108. At this time, the content specifying information notifying unit 118 adds the device notification command acquired from the device notification command receiving unit 110 to the content specifying information and notifies the content providing apparatus 300 of it. For example, the content specifying information notification unit 118 notifies the content providing apparatus 300 of the ID information of the playback device 200 and the content specifying information in response to the search command. Then, the content specifying information notifying unit 118 specifies the space area corresponding to the device notification command based on the content specifying information and the device notification command. That is, the content specific information notification unit 118 is an example of a device information notification unit.

(Error processing unit 120)
When the error processing unit 120 receives an error notification from the content providing apparatus 300 via the long-distance communication unit 108, the error processing unit 120 displays the error notification on the display unit 112 and presents it to the user. This error notification corresponds to, for example, a case where the playback device 200 corresponding to the ID information of the playback device 200 notified to the content providing device 300 is not detected, or a content type and signal format specified by the content specifying information. This is an error output that is notified when the playback device 200 is not detected. Therefore, the user can refer to the error notification output on the display unit 112 to recognize the playback device 200 that is in an unusable state and appropriately perform a device re-execution operation. Become.

  Heretofore, the functional configuration of the playback control terminal 100 according to the present embodiment has been described. With the above configuration, it is possible to register or notify the content providing apparatus 300 of the playback device 200 in the space area where the playback control terminal 100 is located in accordance with (A) device registration operation and (B) content selection operation. become. In that case, it is important that the user does not need to explicitly specify the space area. If a relatively wide-area wireless communication means such as IEEE 802.11 is used as a communication means for transmitting a search command, it may be difficult to accurately determine the spatial domain. In addition, since the communication route is configured by combining the short-range communication unit 106 and the long-distance communication unit 108, it can be realized relatively easily that the content providing apparatus 300 confirms the information of the playback device 200.

[Functional configuration of playback device 200]
Next, the functional configuration of the playback device 200 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a functional configuration of the playback device 200 according to the present embodiment. Note that the playback device 200 is an example of an information device.

  Referring to FIG. 3, the playback device 200 mainly includes a short-range communication unit 202, a terminal information acquisition unit 204, a long-range communication unit 206, a device information notification unit 208, a content playback processing unit 210, and a playback. Part 212.

(Near field communication unit 202)
The short-range communication unit 202 is a receiving unit that receives a signal transmitted from the playback control terminal 100 in a predetermined space area where the playback device 200 is located. For example, the short-range communication unit 202 is a wireless communication unit that can receive a signal transmitted using a communication medium such as infrared (Ir), millimeter wave, visible light, or sound wave. Therefore, the short-range communication unit 202 cannot receive a signal transmitted from the playback control terminal 100 that exists outside the space area where the playback device 200 is located. As a result, it is possible to specify that the signal received by the short-range communication unit 202 is a signal transmitted from the playback control terminal 100 in the space area where the playback device 200 is located. That is, the short-range communication unit 202 is an example of an in-region communication unit.

(Terminal information acquisition unit 204)
The terminal information acquisition unit 204 extracts the address information of the reproduction control terminal 100 from the search command received from the reproduction control terminal 100 via the short-range communication unit 202. Then, the terminal information acquisition unit 204 transmits the extracted address information to the device information notification unit 208.

(Device information notification unit 208)
The device information notification unit 208 receives the search command acquired via the short-range communication unit 202, and transmits a device notification command including information on the own device based on the address information acquired from the terminal information acquisition unit 204. At this time, the device information notification unit 208 transmits a device notification command using the long-distance communication unit 206.

(Long distance communication unit 206)
The long-distance communication unit 206 is a communication unit that forms a network for transmitting and receiving information between at least the reproduction control terminal 100 and the content providing apparatus 300. For example, the long-distance communication unit 206 is configured as a wireless communication unit such as IEEE 802.11, or a communication unit for transmitting / receiving information to / from the playback control terminal 100 or the content providing apparatus 300 via a wired network. . The long-distance communication unit 206 may be a communication unit capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from other devices or devices located inside or outside the space area where the own device is located.

(Content reproduction processing unit 210, reproduction unit 212)
The content reproduction processing unit 210 is a processing unit that renders content received from the content providing apparatus 300 via the long-distance communication unit 206. The content reproduction processing unit 210 outputs the output signal subjected to the rendering process to the reproduction unit 212. The reproduction unit 212 outputs the output signal rendered by the content reproduction processing unit 210 to the user. The playback unit 212 is, for example, a display device suitable for outputting moving image content or still image content, or an audio device suitable for outputting audio content.

  Heretofore, the functional configuration of the playback device 200 according to the present embodiment has been described. As described above, the playback device 200 communicates with the playback control terminal 100 via the short-range communication unit 202, so that it is automatically determined that the playback device 200 is located in the space area where the playback control terminal 100 is located. It is prescribed. That is, the playback control terminal 100 or other playback device 200 communicating via the short-range communication unit 202 is located in the same space area as the own device. Therefore, by transmitting the device notification command based on the search command received via the short-range communication unit 202, it becomes possible to share information on the spatial domain with the device or terminal that has received the device notification command.

[Functional configuration of content providing apparatus 300]
Next, the functional configuration of the content providing apparatus 300 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the content providing apparatus 300 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the content providing apparatus 300 mainly includes a long-distance communication unit 302, a reproduction control unit 304, a content storage unit 306, and a management function block 310. The management function block 310 mainly includes a registered device list generation unit 312, a corresponding device list generation unit 314, a device selection unit 316, and a device list storage unit 318. Note that the content storage unit 306 and the device list storage unit 318 may be configured by a single storage unit.

(Long distance communication unit 302)
The long-distance communication unit 302 is a communication unit that forms a network for transmitting and receiving information between at least the playback control terminal 100 and the playback device 200. For example, the long-distance communication unit 302 is configured as a wireless communication unit such as IEEE 802.11, or a communication unit for transmitting / receiving information to / from the playback control terminal 100 or the playback device 200 via a wired network. The long-distance communication unit 302 is an example of a device information acquisition unit.

(Reproduction control unit 304, content storage unit 306)
The reproduction control unit 304 is control means for providing the content stored in the content storage unit 306 to the reproduction device 200 via the long-distance communication unit 302 for reproduction. At this time, the reproduction control unit 304 provides the content to the reproduction device 200 selected by the device selection unit 316 described later and causes the reproduction device 200 to reproduce the content. The content storage unit 306 is a storage unit for storing, for example, moving image content, still image content, music content, and the like. Although not explicitly shown in FIG. 4, broadcast content distributed via the wide area network is temporarily stored in the content storage unit 306 and provided to a predetermined playback device 200 by the playback control unit 304. It is also possible to modify the configuration.

  Note that the content transmission process to the playback device 200 can be realized by, for example, control according to 2 Box Push System Usage of DLNA Guideline Version 1.5. Further, the playback control unit 304 may make the playback device 200 communicable using a technique such as Wake On Lan as necessary.

(Registered device list generator 312)
The registered device list generation unit 312 acquires the ID information and feature information of the playback device 200 from the device registration command received via the long-distance communication unit 302. The registered device list generation unit 312 stores one or a plurality of ID information included in the device registration command as one group in the registered device list (L ₁ ). The ID information included in the device registration command corresponds to the playback device 200 detected by the playback control terminal 100 using the short-range communication unit 106. Therefore, the ID information corresponds to the playback device 200 in the space area where the playback control terminal 100 is located. That is, the registered device list generation unit 312 can classify and store the playback device 200 for each spatial region by registering the ID information of the playback device 200 according to the device registration command.

  At this time, the registered device list generation unit 312 accesses the playback device 200 corresponding to the ID information, and detects a signal format that each playback device 200 can render. For example, the registered device list generation unit 312 can detect a signal format that can be rendered by using a UPnP Connection Manager: 1 Service GetProtocolInfo action. Then, the registered device list generation unit 312 generates a registered device list for each space area, and stores the feature information and the renderable signal format in association with the ID information. The registered device list is recorded in the device list storage unit 318.

(For registered device list _{L 1)}
Here, referring to FIG. 5, it will be described briefly registered device list L _1. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a registered device list L ₁ of the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an example of a registered device list corresponding to the device control system 1000 shown in FIG. Figure 5 (A) is a registered device list corresponding to the playback device ₂₀₀ (TV 1, Stereo ₁₎ located in the room 1 (spatial region _{R 1).} FIG. 5B is a registered device list corresponding to the playback device 200 (TV ₂ , TV ₃ ) located in the room 2 (space region R ₂ ). However, it is assumed that ID information of TV ₁ = 001, ID information of Stereo ₁ = 002, ID information of TV ₂ = 003, and ID information of TV ₃ = 004.

When the user registers TV ₁ and Stereo ₁ in the room 1, the user operates the playback control terminal 100 in the room 1 and acquires device notification commands from all devices. Then, the user executes an operation for completing the registration process, and transmits a device registration command to the content providing apparatus 300. Then, the registered device list generation unit 312 acquires the device registration command, and registers the TV ₁ ID information and the Stereo ₁ ID information described therein as one group. At this time, the registered device list generation unit 312 also describes information on signal formats that can be rendered by each device in the registered device list. The registered device list generated in this way is shown in FIG. Referring to this list, it can be seen that ID information = 001 is associated with feature information = TV ₁ and renderable signal format = MPEG2-TS, JPEG in association with each other. Similarly, when the user moves the reproduction control terminal 100 to the room 2 and executes the registration process, a registered device list as shown in FIG. 5B is generated.

(Supported device list generation unit 314)
Refer to FIG. 4 again. The corresponding device list generation unit 314 generates a corresponding device list (L ₂ ) based on the registered device list (L ₁ ) generated by the registered device list generation unit 312. The supported device list (L ₂ ) is a list in which the playback device 200 is classified in association with the content type. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the compatible device list includes a moving image compatible device list that lists reproduction devices 200 that are compatible with reproduction of moving image content, and a still image that lists reproduction devices 200 that are compatible with reproduction of still image content. An image-compatible device list and a music-compatible device list that lists the playback devices 200 that support playback of music content are listed, and ID information of the corresponding playback devices 200 is listed.

  Note that the corresponding device list generation unit 314 generates a corresponding device list for each registered device list. For example, FIG. 6 (A) corresponds to the registered device list of FIG. 5 (A), and FIG. 6 (B) corresponds to the registered device list of FIG. 5 (B). Therefore, a corresponding device list is generated for each space area. Note that the corresponding device list is recorded in the device list storage unit 318.

(For the corresponding equipment list _{L 2)}
Referring to FIG. 6A, only the TV ₁ (ID information = 001) corresponding to moving image reproduction among the devices in the room 1 is registered in the moving image corresponding device list. The TV ₁ is also registered in the still image compatible device list in order to support playback of still images (see FIG. 5A). On the other hand, among the devices in room 1, the only device that supports music playback is Stereo ₁ (see FIG. 5A), so only Stereo ₁ (ID information = 002) is included in the music-compatible device list. Is registered. Similarly, referring to the corresponding device list in FIG. 6B related to the room 2, TV ₂ (ID information = 003) and TV ₃ (ID information = 004) are registered in the moving image compatible device list, and still image support is available. Only TV ₂ is registered in the device list. On the other hand, nothing is registered in the music-compatible device list.

  When the content providing apparatus 300 has a code conversion function for converting the signal format, it is possible to generate a corresponding device list in consideration of the conversion output. For example, if the content providing apparatus 300 can convert a music signal into a moving image signal, a device capable of reproducing moving image content may be described in the music-compatible device list. Such an extension can widen the selection range of the playback device 200 and greatly improve user convenience.

(Device selection unit 316)
Refer to FIG. 4 again. The device selection unit 316 refers to the registered device list or the corresponding device list recorded in the device list storage unit 318 and selects the playback device 200 that matches the content. First, the device selection unit 316 identifies content based on the content identification information received from the playback control terminal 100. Next, the device selection unit 316 confirms the identified content type or signal format. At this time, the device selection unit 316 can check the content type or signal format with reference to, for example, a content database (not shown). Next, the device selection unit 316 specifies to which group (space region) the ID information of the playback device 200 notified together with the content specifying information belongs. At this time, the device selection unit 316 may specify a group with reference to the registered device list or the corresponding device list. The device selection unit 316 is an example of a region specifying unit or a device selection unit.

  Then, the device selection unit 316 selects a playback device 200 capable of rendering the content from the playback devices 200 belonging to the specified group. At this time, the device selection unit 316 refers to the registered device list or the corresponding device list, and selects the playback device 200 that matches the content. When there are a plurality of playback devices 200 that match the content, the device selection unit 316 selects based on the priority set by the playback control terminal 100. At this time, the device selection unit 316 may check whether the playback device 200 actually corresponds to the signal format of the content or whether the playback device 200 can be used. As a result, when a playback device 200 suitable for content playback is selected, the playback device 200 is playback controlled by the playback control unit 304 to play back the content. However, if the playback device 200 that matches the content cannot be detected, the device selection unit 316 transmits an error notification to the playback control terminal 100.

  Heretofore, the functional configuration of the content providing apparatus 300 according to the present embodiment has been described. When the above configuration is applied, it is possible to register the playback devices 200 in groups for each space area. In addition, it is possible to select a playback device 200 that matches the content specified by the playback control terminal 100 from the playback devices 200 existing in an appropriate space area. As a result, the playback device 200 in the space area in which the user is present can be automatically selected based on each device list without designating the playback device 200 that matches the content.

[Device control method]
Next, a device control method according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

(Registration processing method by the playback control terminal 100)
First, a registration processing method by the reproduction control terminal 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a registration processing method by the playback control terminal 100 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the reproduction control terminal 100 deletes the ID information and the feature information when there is the stored ID information and feature information of the reproduction device 200 for initialization (S102). . Next, the search command transmission unit 104 transmits a search command (S104). Next, the playback control terminal 100 determines whether a device notification command has been received (S106). When receiving the device notification command, the reproduction control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S108. On the other hand, when the device notification command has not been received, the reproduction control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S114.

  In step S108, the playback control terminal 100 determines whether a device notification command including the same ID information has been received and stored (S108). When receiving the device notification command including the same ID information, the reproduction control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S114. On the other hand, when the device notification command including the same ID information has not been received, the playback control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S110.

  In step S110, the playback control terminal 100 stores ID information and feature information included in the device notification command (S110). Next, the playback control terminal 100 displays the feature information included in the device notification command on the display unit 112 (S112). Next, the playback control terminal 100 determines whether or not the elapsed time after sending the search command is longer than a predetermined time (S114). When the elapsed time after the search command transmission is longer than the predetermined time, the reproduction control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S116. On the other hand, when the elapsed time after the search command transmission is smaller than the predetermined time, the reproduction control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S106.

  In step S116, the playback control terminal 100 determines whether or not to end the registration mode for registering the playback device 200 (S116). When ending the registration mode, the playback control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S118. On the other hand, when the registration mode is not terminated, the reproduction control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S104.

  In step S118, the playback control terminal 100 determines whether or not the ID information recorded in the previous stage exists (S118). If the recorded ID information exists, the playback control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S120. On the other hand, when the recorded ID information does not exist, the playback control terminal 100 ends the registration process of the playback device 200.

  In step S120, the playback control terminal 100 transmits a list of ID information and feature information to the content providing apparatus 300 (S120). Next, the playback control terminal 100 determines whether an error response has been received (S122). When the error response is received, the reproduction control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S124. On the other hand, if no error response has been received, the playback control terminal 100 ends the registration process of the playback device 200.

  In step S124, the playback control terminal 100 executes error processing (S124). Here, this error processing will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing details of the error processing method.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the reproduction control terminal 100 displays the feature information included in the error notification (or error response) on the display unit 112 as a list (S142). Next, the playback control terminal 100 causes the user to determine whether or not to resume the registration process of the playback device 200 (S144). When resuming the registration process, the playback control terminal 100 sets the error processing code to “resume registration” (S150). On the other hand, when the registration process is not resumed, the reproduction control terminal 100 sets the error processing code to “forced” (S146). Next, the playback control terminal 100 transmits an error processing code to the content providing apparatus 300 (S148). In this way, error processing is executed.

  Refer to FIG. 7 again. After the error processing is executed in step S124, the playback control terminal 100 determines whether or not the error processing code is “resume registration” (S126). When the error processing code is “resume registration”, the reproduction control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S104. On the other hand, when the error processing code is not “registration restart”, the playback control terminal 100 ends the registration processing of the playback device 200.

  The registration processing method by the playback control terminal 100 according to the present embodiment has been described above. Also, the error processing method included in the registration processing method has been described.

(Registration processing method by the playback device 200)
Next, a registration processing method in the playback device 200 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a registration processing method in the playback device 200 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the playback device 200 extracts the address information of the playback control terminal 100 from the received search command (S202). Next, the playback device 200 transmits a device notification command to the playback control terminal 100 (S204).

  The registration processing method in the playback device 200 according to this embodiment has been described above.

(Registration processing method by content providing apparatus 300)
Next, a registration processing method by the content providing apparatus 300 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a registration processing method by the content providing apparatus 300 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the content providing apparatus 300 extracts a list including ID information and feature information received from the reproduction control terminal 100 (S302). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 extracts a registered group including at least some ID information from the ID information included in the extracted list (S304). That is, the content providing apparatus 300 refers to the ID information for each group that has already been registered, and extracts a group whose part or all is included in the ID information of the list received this time.

  Next, the content providing apparatus 300 determines whether or not a registered group including all ID information exists in the list (S306). That is, the content providing apparatus 300 refers to ID information for each group that has already been registered, and detects a group in which all ID information is included in the list. If such a group exists, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to the process of step S308. On the other hand, if such a group does not exist, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to the process of step S310.

  In step S308, the content providing apparatus 300 deletes all registered groups in which all ID information is included in the list (S308). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 determines whether there is a registered group that includes a part of the ID information in the list (S310). If such a registered group exists, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to the process of step S316. On the other hand, if such a registered group does not exist, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to the process of step S312.

  In the process of step S312, the content providing apparatus 300 registers the ID information and the feature information described in the list as a new group (S312). Details of this registration process will be described later. Next, the content providing apparatus 300 transmits a normal response to the reproduction control terminal 100 (S314). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 ends the registration process.

  On the other hand, in step S316, the content providing apparatus 300 extracts all ID information included in the corresponding group but not described in the list (S316). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 transmits the feature information corresponding to the extracted ID information group and the error response to the reproduction control terminal 100 (S318). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 determines whether an error processing code has been received (S320). When the error processing code is received, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to the process of step S322. On the other hand, when the error processing code has not been received, the content providing apparatus 300 repeatedly executes the process of step 320 to prepare for receiving the error processing code.

  In step S322, the content providing apparatus 300 determines whether or not the error processing code is “resume registration” (S322). When the error processing code is “resume registration”, the content providing apparatus 300 ends the registration process based on the current list. On the other hand, if the error processing code is not “registration restart”, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to step S324.

  In step S324, the content providing apparatus 300 deletes the ID information described in the list from the registered group (S324). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 registers the ID information and the feature information described in the list as a new group (S326). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 ends the registration process.

(New group addition registration method by content providing apparatus 300)
Here, a new group additional registration method by the content providing apparatus 300 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. This method corresponds to the processing in steps S312 and S326 in FIG. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a new group additional registration method by the content providing apparatus 300 according to the present embodiment.

  As illustrated in FIG. 11, the content providing apparatus 300 selects one piece of ID information described in the list (S332). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 inquires of the playback device 200 having the selected ID information about a compatible signal format (S334). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 associates ID information, feature information, and information on compatible signal formats, and additionally registers them in a new group corresponding to the current list (S336).

  Next, the content providing apparatus 300 selects the playback device 200 belonging to the group, and determines whether or not the moving image content can be rendered (S338). If the moving image content can be rendered, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to step S340, and adds the ID information to the moving image compatible device list of the new group (S340). On the other hand, when the playback device 200 with the ID information does not support rendering of moving image content, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to the process of step S342.

  In step S342, the content providing apparatus 300 determines whether or not still image content can be rendered to the playback device 200 (S342). If the still image content can be rendered, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to step S344, and adds the ID information to the still image corresponding device list of the new group (S344). On the other hand, when the playback device 200 with the ID information does not support rendering of still image content, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to the process of step S346.

  In step S346, the content providing apparatus 300 determines whether or not music content can be rendered to the playback device 200 (S346). If the music content can be rendered, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to step S348, and adds the ID information to the new group music-compatible device list (S348). On the other hand, if the playback device 200 with the ID information does not support rendering of music content, the content providing device 300 proceeds to the process of step S350.

  Next, the content providing apparatus 300 determines whether or not the processing of all ID information described in the list is completed (S350). When the process regarding all ID information is completed, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to the process of step S352. On the other hand, when the process regarding all ID information is not completed, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to the process of step S332.

  In step S352, the content providing apparatus 300 sets a use priority for the playback device 200 used for moving image output among the playback devices 200 registered in the new group (S352). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 sets the priority of the playback device 200 used for still image output (S354). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 sets the priority of the playback device 200 used for music output (S356). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 ends the new group adding process. The details of the priority setting method will be described later.

(Priority setting method by the playback control terminal 100)
Next, a priority setting method performed by the playback control terminal 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a priority setting method by the playback control terminal 100 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the playback control terminal 100 receives all ID information and feature information included in the device list (S162). Next, the reproduction control terminal 100 displays a list of the received feature information on the display unit 112 (S164). Next, the playback control terminal 100 initializes the priority number to 1 (S166). Next, the playback control terminal 100 determines whether or not the playback device 200 has been selected (S168). When the playback device 200 is selected, the playback control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S170. On the other hand, when the playback device 200 is not selected, the playback control terminal 100 repeats step S168 again and waits for selection of the playback device 200.

  In step S170, the playback control terminal 100 stores the priority number in association with the ID information of the selected playback device 200 (S170). Next, the playback control terminal 100 deletes the feature information of the selected playback device 200 from the list (S172). Next, the playback control terminal 100 adds 1 to the priority number (S174). Next, the playback control terminal 100 determines whether or not priorities have been set for all the playback devices 200 (S176). When the priority order is set for all the playback devices 200, the playback control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S178. On the other hand, when there is a playback device 200 for which priority is not set, the playback control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S168.

  In step S178, the reproduction control terminal 100 transmits all the ID information and the priority number to the content providing apparatus 300 (S178). Then, the playback control terminal 100 ends the priority setting process.

(Priority setting method in content providing apparatus 300)
Next, a priority setting method in the content providing apparatus 300 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a priority setting method in the content providing apparatus 300 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the content providing apparatus 300 determines whether or not the registered device list is empty (S358). If it is empty, the content providing apparatus 300 ends the priority setting process. On the other hand, if it is not empty, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to the process of step S360.

  In step S360, the content providing apparatus 300 determines whether there is one ID information included in the registered device list (S360). If there is only one ID information, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to the process of step S368. On the other hand, when there is not one ID information, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to the process of step S362.

  In step S368, the content providing apparatus 300 stores the priority number 1 in association with the ID information (S368). Then, the content providing apparatus 300 ends the priority setting process.

  In step S362, the content providing apparatus 300 transmits all ID information and feature information included in the device list to the reproduction control terminal 100 (S362). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 receives the priority number of each ID information (S364). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 stores each ID information included in the device list in association with the priority number (S366). Then, the content providing apparatus 300 ends the priority setting process.

  The registration processing method for the playback device 200 according to the present embodiment has been described above. When the list of playback devices 200 registered using the above method is used, the content providing apparatus 300 automatically selects the playback device 200 that matches the content by designating the content from the playback control terminal 100. Will be able to. In particular, the playback device 200 that matches the content is automatically selected from the playback devices 200 in the space area where the playback control terminal 100 is located. Hereinafter, a control method related to content reproduction processing will be described.

(Reproduction control method by the reproduction control terminal 100)
Next, a reproduction control method by the reproduction control terminal 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing a playback control method by the playback control terminal 100 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the playback control terminal 100 acquires a content list from the content providing apparatus 300 (S182). This content list may relate to the content held by the content providing device 300, or may be a content list of broadcast content that can be provided by the content providing device 300. Next, the playback control terminal 100 displays a list of content information on the display unit 112 (S184). Next, the playback control terminal 100 determines whether content has been selected (S186). When the content is selected, the playback control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S188. On the other hand, if no content is selected, the playback control terminal 100 repeats the process of step S186 and waits for the content to be selected.

  In step S188, the playback control terminal 100 transmits a search command (S188). Next, the playback control terminal 100 determines whether a device notification command has been received (S190). When receiving the device notification command, the reproduction control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S192. On the other hand, when the device notification command has not been received, the reproduction control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S188 and transmits the search command again.

  In the process of step S192, the playback control terminal 100 notifies the content providing apparatus 300 of the selected content and the ID information included in the device notification command (S192). Next, the playback control terminal 100 determines whether or not an error notification has been received (S194). When the error notification is received, the reproduction control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S196 and displays the error on the display unit 112 (S196). On the other hand, when the error notification is not received, the reproduction control terminal 100 ends the content reproduction control.

(Reproduction control method by content providing apparatus 300)
Next, a reproduction control method by the content providing apparatus 300 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing a playback control method performed by the content providing apparatus 300 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the content providing apparatus 300 identifies the selected content, and extracts the ID information notified by the device notification command (S370). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 identifies attributes such as the type and signal format of the selected content (S372). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 specifies a group including the ID information notified by the device notification command (S374). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 specifies the playback device 200 that is the output destination based on the content attribute and the specified group information (S376). Details of this specific processing method will be described later.

  Next, the content providing apparatus 300 determines whether or not the specification of the playback device 200 as an output destination has failed (S378). When the specification of the playback device 200 fails, the content providing apparatus 300 transmits an error notification to the playback control terminal 100 (S382). On the other hand, when the specification of the playback device 200 is successful, the content providing apparatus 300 transmits the content to the playback device 200 of the output destination and plays back the content (S380). Then, the content providing apparatus ends the content reproduction control process.

(Device identification method by content providing apparatus 300)
Next, a device specifying method by the content providing apparatus 300 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing a device specifying method by the content providing apparatus 300 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the content providing apparatus 300 identifies a corresponding device list corresponding to a predetermined group and adapted to the content attribute (S384). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 initializes the priority number to 0 (S386). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 adds 1 to the priority number (S388). Next, the content providing apparatus 300 determines whether or not the playback device 200 corresponding to the priority number exists in the supported device list (S390). If it exists in the corresponding device list, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to the process of step S392. On the other hand, when it does not exist in the corresponding device list, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to the process of step S398.

  In step S398, the content providing apparatus 300 determines that the specification of the playback device 200 as an output destination has failed (S398). Then, the content providing apparatus 300 ends the specifying process of the playback device 200.

  In step S392, the content providing apparatus 300 determines whether or not the playback device 200 corresponding to the priority number is in a usable state (S392). If it is available, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to the process of step S394. On the other hand, if it is not usable, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to the process of step S388.

  In step S394, the content providing apparatus 300 determines whether or not the playback device 200 supports the content signal format (S394). If it corresponds to the signal format of the content, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to the process of step S396. On the other hand, if it does not correspond to the signal format of the content, the content providing apparatus 300 proceeds to the process of step S388.

  In step S396, the content providing apparatus 300 determines the playback device 200 as an output destination (S396). Then, the content providing apparatus 300 ends the specifying process of the playback device 200.

  The content playback control method according to the present embodiment has been described above. When the above method is applied, when content is designated by the user's operation of the playback control terminal 100, the playback device 200 that matches the content is selected from the playback devices 200 in the space area where the user is located. Played. As described above, when this embodiment is applied, a content reproduction system that is very convenient for the user is realized.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. However, components that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted, and only components that are different will be described in detail. The feature of this embodiment is that the above device control method can be applied even to the playback device 20 that does not have the short-range communication unit 202 provided in the playback device 200 according to the first embodiment.

[System configuration of device control system 2000]
First, the system configuration of the device control system 2000 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing a system configuration of the device control system 2000 according to the present embodiment.

  Referring to FIG. 17, the device control system 2000 mainly includes a playback device 20, a playback control terminal 100, a communication device 250, a playback device 270, and a content providing device 300. The communication device 250 is substantially the same in configuration as the reproduction device 200 according to the first embodiment that does not include the content reproduction processing unit 210 and the reproduction unit 212. Furthermore, the playback device 270 has substantially the same configuration as the playback device 200 according to the first embodiment.

  However, the communication device 250 and the playback device 270 have a function corresponding to the device information notification unit 208, and can use the function to notify the content providing apparatus 300 of information on the playback device 20 in the same space area. It is slightly different in point. Since the communication device 250 or the playback device 270 has the above-described difference, the playback device 20 that does not include the short-range communication unit 202 is also substantially the same device control method as in the first embodiment. Is applicable. Therefore, this difference will be described in more detail. This difference appears in the device registration method in the playback control terminal 100 as described below.

(Device registration method by the playback control terminal 100)
A device registration method by the playback control terminal 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram showing a device registration method by the playback control terminal 100 according to the present embodiment. However, FIG. 18 does not describe the entire device registration method, and is completed by being inserted between step S116 and step S118 of the explanatory diagram shown in FIG. Therefore, please refer to the description regarding FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the playback control terminal 100 requests the content providing apparatus 300 for a list of playback devices 20 that are not compatible with short-range communication (S130). Next, the playback control terminal 100 determines whether or not there is a playback device 20 that does not support short-range communication (S132). If there is an incompatible device, the playback control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S134. On the other hand, when there is no non-compatible device, the playback control terminal 100 ends the device registration process.

  In step S134, the playback control terminal 100 displays a list of non-compatible devices on the display unit 112 (S134). Next, the playback control terminal 100 determines whether or not to end the device registration process according to the user's operation (S136). When ending the device registration process, the playback control terminal 100 ends the device registration process. On the other hand, if the device registration process is not terminated, the playback control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S138, and determines whether or not the playback device 20 has been designated (S138). When the playback device 20 is designated, the playback control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S140. On the other hand, when the playback device 20 is not designated, the playback control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S136.

  In step S140, the playback control terminal 100 stores the ID information and feature information of the specified playback device 20 (S140). Next, the reproduction control terminal 100 proceeds to the process of step S136.

  As described above, even if the playback device 20 that does not have the short-range communication unit 202 is connected, the information on the playback device 20 is acquired from the content providing apparatus 300 and used, thereby the presence or absence of the short-range communication function. Regardless of this, it is possible to utilize devices in a predetermined space area. In addition, devices that support short-range communication and devices that are not compatible can be collectively processed as one group.

(Specific examples and modifications)
Here, a specific case or a modification example to which the device control system 2000 according to the present embodiment can be applied will be considered.

  As illustrated in FIG. 17, consider an example in which a virtual client device having no content rendering function is placed in the room 1 as the communication device 250. In this example, it is only necessary that at least the communication device 250 is installed at a position where it can receive a command for near field communication (for example, infrared communication). That is, not only the playback device 20 that does not have the short-range communication unit 202 but also the playback device 270 may not be able to receive infrared rays except during registration. As a result, the degree of freedom regarding the installation of the playback device 20 and the playback device 270 can be greatly increased.

  Further, a method may be considered in which this idea is further advanced and infrared communication is not used for registration of the playback device 20. In the first place, the communication device 250 and the playback device 20 in the room need only be registered in the content providing apparatus 300 as one group. Therefore, for example, after the communication device 250 is displayed on the display unit 112 of the reproduction control terminal 100 in the registration mode, the reproduction control terminal 100 and the reproduction device 20 are communicated by any communication means to be registered in the content providing apparatus 300. A registration method is also possible as a modification. Further, as a specific communication means, proximity communication technology such as FeliCa or UWB may be used.

  As another example, a method of displaying a list of all playback devices 20 on the network on the display unit 112 of the playback control terminal 100 and allowing the user to select one by one can be considered. In this case, since communication means other than network communication is not required, it is possible to use a DMR in a general DLNA as the playback device 20. Further, by using a device corresponding to DLNA, a friendlyName, an icon, or the like can be used when showing a device list to the user.

  By the way, a device capability tag may be prepared so that a device that supports short-range communication and a device that does not support short-range communication can be discriminated by, for example, processing using the UPnP Discovery function. In practice, only devices that support infrared registration need have this tag.

  Further, the content providing apparatus 300 may store a list of playback devices 20 that are not compatible with infrared registration in the processing of the UPnP Discovery function. With this process, when a list of playback devices 20 is requested from the playback control terminal 100, the ID information and feature information (friendlyName) of the playback devices 20 can be passed immediately.

  In addition, when selecting a device in the room from the list of non-compatible devices, device candidates may be indicated from past registration contents. For example, when a new non-compliant device is additionally registered in another room, the communication device 250 (Virtual Client) is detected at the stage of infrared registration, and the playback devices 20 already grouped in the past registration process are selected as candidates. You may display on the reproduction | regeneration control terminal 100. FIG. As a result, the registration process can be made easier.

  Further, in the above description, the content providing apparatus 300 implicitly assumes one system configuration, but the technology according to the above embodiment is also applied to a system configuration including a plurality of content providing apparatuses 300. Can do. For this purpose, for example, a method is considered in which only the management function block 310 included in one content providing apparatus 300 is enabled and the processing is unified.

  When this method is applied, when the content held by the content providing apparatus 300 other than the content providing apparatus 300 for which the management function block 310 is set to be effective is played back, the management function block 310 is configured to use the DLNA 1.5 3 Box System. It will play the role of DMC in Usage. That is, the management function block 310 corresponds to a function of controlling streaming playback from the content providing apparatus 300 corresponding to DMS to the playback device 20 corresponding to DMR. In this case, the management function block 310 can be configured as an external device of the content providing device 300 as one function. For example, a configuration in which the management function block 310 is included in the reproduction control terminal 100 is also conceivable.

  As another example, a method may be considered in which priorities are assigned to effective management function blocks 310, one management function block 310 is used as a master, and another management function block 310 is used as a slave. In the latter example, the registration processing is executed by the master management function block 310, and the registration information is shared or synchronized with the slave management function block 310, thereby realizing the processing related to content reproduction in cooperation. It becomes possible.

  The device control system and the device control method according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention have been described above in detail. By applying the above embodiment, the user can enjoy the content by selecting an appropriate device from the devices in the place where the user is located (spatial area) simply by selecting the content to be used. It becomes like this. In addition, since the operation procedure is simplified and it is not necessary to learn different operations depending on the device to be used, a network system that can be easily used by any user can be realized.

[Application example]
Here, an application example in which the technology according to the present embodiment can be realized as a substrate will be described.

(Switching method of playback device 200)
First, a switching processing method for the playback device 200 will be described. When switching of the playback device 200 is instructed from the playback control terminal 100, the playback control terminal 100 transmits a search command. Then, the playback control terminal 100 acquires a device notification command transmitted in response to the search command, and transmits ID information included in the device notification command to the content providing apparatus 300.

  Next, the content providing apparatus 300 receives the ID information and transmits all the feature information and ID information of the playback device 200 registered in the same group as the device holding the ID information to the playback control terminal 100. . The playback control terminal 100 displays a list of received feature information of the playback device 200 on the display unit 112 and requests selection / instruction of a new playback device 200. Therefore, the user selects / instructs a new playback device 200 through the control unit 102.

  When a new playback device 200 is selected / instructed by the user, the playback control terminal 100 transmits the ID information of the playback device 200 to the content providing apparatus 300. At that time, the content providing apparatus 300 switches the output destination of the content transmitted to the playback device 200 in the space area where the playback control terminal 100 is located to the newly specified playback device 200. The switching process of the playback device 200 is realized by the above processing steps.

  In the processing steps described above, when the content providing apparatus 300 transmits information about the playback device 200 to the playback control terminal 100, only the information about the playback device 200 that can process the content being transmitted at that time is played back. You may make it transmit to the control terminal 100. FIG. In addition, after playback is started in a certain space area A, when switching of the playback device 200 is instructed in another space area B, the playback control terminal 100 displays a list of the playback devices 200 in the space area B. Alternatively, the switching process may be realized for the devices displayed in the list.

  Further, in the above switching process step, the content providing apparatus 300 may store the ID information of the reproduction control terminal 100 when the reproduction control terminal 100 requests the reproduction of the content. Then, when the content providing apparatus 300 further receives a request for switching the playback device 200, the content providing apparatus 300 matches the ID information of the playback control terminal 100 that is the request source, so that there are a plurality of playback control terminals 100. However, it is possible to realize the switching process correctly.

(Usage method in a place where the playback device 200 does not exist)
Next, a usage method in a place where the playback device 200 does not exist will be described. When a playback operation of content is executed by the playback control terminal 100, there may be no playback device 200 that receives a search command transmitted by the playback control terminal 100 and returns a device notification command. Even in such a case, for example, a case where the playback control terminal 100 itself has the function of the playback device 200 is conceivable, and an application example in which the playback control terminal 100 receives content can be realized. For example, when the device notification command is not received for a predetermined time after the search command is transmitted, the playback control terminal 100 regards the content providing apparatus 300 as if it is the playback device 200 and the content. It can also be requested to provide.

(Catch method for content)
Next, a content catch method will be described. For example, consider a case in which content catch is instructed by the playback control terminal 100 having the function of the playback device 200 while the content is being played back using the playback device 200 in a certain spatial region. In such a case, the playback control terminal 100 may request the content providing apparatus 300 to switch the playback device so that the terminal is the playback device.

(Throwing method of content)
Next, a content throwing method will be described. For example, consider a case where the user instructs Throw within a certain spatial region using the playback control terminal 100 when the playback control terminal 100 receives and plays back content from the content providing apparatus 300. In that case, the playback control terminal 100 instructs the content providing apparatus 300 to switch the content currently being received to the playback device 200 in the space area. More specifically, the same processing as that for reproducing the content being received is executed. However, content transmission to the playback control terminal 100 is interrupted, and the playback device 200 after switching starts playback from the interrupted position.

(How to start playback quickly)
Next, a quick reproduction start method will be described. First, a search command is transmitted when the user starts a content browsing operation using the playback control terminal 100. The device notification command transmitted in response to the search command is received, and the ID information and the activation preparation command included in the device notification command are transmitted to the content providing apparatus 300.

  In response to the ID information and the start preparation command, the content providing apparatus 300 puts all the playback devices 200 of the group to which the device holding the ID information belongs into a semi-startup state. Next, the user determines the content to be played back using the playback control terminal 100, cancels the semi-startup state of devices other than the playback device 200 used for playback of the content, and returns to the sleep state. With the above processing steps, it is possible to reduce the processing time required from content selection to playback start.

(Manual specification method for playback device 200)
Next, a method for manually specifying the playback device 200 will be described. For example, when the playback control terminal 100 is set to a mode for manually specifying the playback device 200, the device holding the ID information included in the device notification command transmitted in response to the search command at the time of content selection is played back. It can be fixed as equipment. Therefore, when the reproduction control terminal 100 instructs the content providing apparatus 300 to reproduce the content, the reproduction control terminal 100 notifies the reproduction device 200 having the specified ID information as a reproduction destination. With the above processing steps, it is possible to temporarily reproduce the content using the reproduction device 200 that is different from the normal one.

  The application example according to the present embodiment has been described above. By appropriately using the above application examples in combination, it is possible to expand the functions of each device, device, or terminal according to the present embodiment, and it can be expected that further special effects can be obtained.

[Hardware configuration]
The function of each component included in the device, device, or terminal can be realized by, for example, an information processing device having a hardware configuration illustrated in FIG. FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus capable of realizing the functions of each component of the apparatus device, the device, or the terminal.

  As shown in FIG. 19, the information processing apparatus mainly includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 902, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 904, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 906, a host bus 908, and a bridge. 910, an external bus 912, an interface 914, an input unit 916, an output unit 918, a storage unit 920, a drive 922, a connection port 924, and a communication unit 926.

  The CPU 902 functions as, for example, an arithmetic processing unit or a control unit, and controls the overall operation of each component or a part thereof based on various programs recorded in the ROM 904, the RAM 906, the storage unit 920, or the removable recording medium 928. . The ROM 904 stores, for example, a program read by the CPU 902 and data used for calculation. The RAM 906 temporarily or permanently stores, for example, a program that is read into the CPU 902 and various parameters that change as appropriate when the program is executed. These components are connected to each other by, for example, a host bus 908 capable of high-speed data transmission. The host bus 908 is connected to an external bus 912 having a relatively low data transmission speed via a bridge 910, for example.

  The input unit 916 is an operation unit such as a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, a button, a switch, and a lever. The input unit 916 may be remote control means (so-called remote controller) capable of transmitting a control signal using infrared rays or other radio waves. Note that the input unit 916 includes an input control circuit for transmitting information input using the above-described operation means to the CPU 902 as an input signal.

  The output unit 918 is, for example, a display device such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a PDP (Plasma Display Panel), or an ELD (Electro-Luminescence Display), an audio device such as a speaker, a headphone, or the like. It is a device capable of visually or audibly notifying acquired information to a user, such as a mobile phone or a facsimile.

  The storage unit 920 is a device for storing various data, and includes, for example, a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a semiconductor storage device, an optical storage device, or a magneto-optical storage device. Is done.

  The drive 922 is a device that reads information recorded on a removable recording medium 928 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory, or writes information to the removable recording medium 928. The removable recording medium 928 is, for example, a DVD medium, a Blu-ray medium, an HD-DVD medium, a compact flash (CF) (registered trademark), a memory stick, or an SD memory card (Secure Digital memory card). Of course, the removable recording medium 928 may be, for example, an IC card (Integrated Circuit Card) on which a non-contact IC chip is mounted, an electronic device, or the like.

  The connection port 924 is a port for connecting an external connection device 930 such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, an IEEE 1394 port, a SCSI (Small Computer System Interface), an RS-232C port, or an optical audio terminal. is there. The external connection device 930 is, for example, a printer, a portable music player, a digital camera, a digital video camera, or an IC recorder.

  The communication unit 926 is a communication device for connecting to the network 932. For example, a communication card for wired or wireless LAN (Local Area Network), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or WUSB (Wireless USB), optical communication A router, a router for ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), or a modem for various communications. The network 932 connected to the communication unit 926 is configured by a wired or wireless network, such as the Internet, home LAN, infrared communication, visible light communication, broadcast, or satellite communication.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to the example which concerns. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

  For example, the priority setting unit 116 may set the priority order when there are a plurality of playback devices 200 that play back the same type of content, but playback corresponding to the same type of signal format among the same type of content. The configuration may be such that priority is set when there are a plurality of devices 200. The types of content referred to here are, for example, classifications such as moving images, still images, and music. On the other hand, the signal format is, for example, MPEG-2, H.264, or the like. H.264, WMV, MP3, AAC, etc.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the apparatus control system which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the function structure of the reproduction | regeneration control terminal which concerns on the same embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the function structure of the reproducing | regenerating apparatus which concerns on the same embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the function structure of the content provision apparatus which concerns on the same embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the registration apparatus list which concerns on the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the corresponding | compatible apparatus list which concerns on the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the registration processing method by the reproduction | regeneration control terminal which concerns on the same embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the error processing method by the reproduction | regeneration control terminal which concerns on the same embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the registration processing method by the reproducing | regenerating apparatus based on the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the registration processing method by the content provision apparatus which concerns on the same embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the addition process method of the new group by the content provision apparatus which concerns on the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the priority setting processing method by the reproduction | regeneration control terminal which concerns on the same embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the priority setting processing method by the content provision apparatus which concerns on the same embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the reproduction | regeneration control method by the reproduction | regeneration control terminal which concerns on the same embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the reproduction | regeneration control method by the content provision apparatus which concerns on the same embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the specification method of the reproduction | regeneration apparatus by the content provision apparatus which concerns on the same embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the apparatus control system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the apparatus registration processing method by the reproduction | regeneration control terminal which concerns on the same embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the hardware structural example of the reproduction | regeneration control terminal which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, a reproduction | regeneration apparatus, or a content provision apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

1000, 2000 Device control system 20 Playback device 100 Playback control terminal 102 Control unit 104 Search command transmission unit 106 Short range communication unit 108 Long range communication unit 110 Device notification command reception unit 112 Display unit 114 Device registration command transmission unit 116 Priority setting Unit 118 content identification information notification unit 120 error processing unit 200, 270 playback device 202 short-range communication unit 204 terminal information acquisition unit 206 long-range communication unit 208 device information notification unit 210 content playback processing unit 212 playback unit 250 communication device 300 content provision Device 302 Long-distance communication unit 304 Playback control unit 306 Content storage unit 310 Management function block 312 Registered device list generation unit 314 Compatible device list generation unit 316 Device selection unit 318 Device list storage unit

Claims (14)

A control terminal for notifying content providing apparatus of content information,
An in-region communication unit for accessing information equipment in the space region where the terminal is located;
A device information notification control unit for controlling the information device using the in-area communication unit and notifying information of the information device;
A device information notifying unit for notifying the content providing apparatus of information on the information device;
With
The control terminal controls the content providing apparatus so that the information device suitable for the content is selected from information devices located in the space area based on the information of the information device. .   2. The control terminal according to claim 1, wherein the device information notifying unit specifies the space area based on information on the information device notified to the content providing apparatus.   The apparatus further comprises a device registration control unit that registers the information device and the space area in association with each other as a registered device list based on the information on the information device notified by the device information notification unit. Item 2. The control terminal according to Item 1.   4. The device registration control unit, when registering the information device in the registered device list, registers the type of content that can be reproduced by the information device in association with the information device. The control terminal described in 1.   When the device registration control unit registers a plurality of the information devices in the space area in the registered device list, the device registration control unit corresponds to the information on the information device notified before the registration process is completed. The control terminal according to claim 3, wherein the control terminal is registered as a group.   When there are a plurality of information devices that match a certain type of content or signal format in the space area, the device registration control unit designates a priority for each information device and registers the information device in the registered device list. The control terminal according to claim 3, wherein the control terminal is a feature. An information device connected to a content providing apparatus through a network,
An in-region communication unit that receives access from a control terminal in the space region where the device is located;
In response to a control signal received by the intra-region communication unit, a device information notification unit that notifies the control terminal or the content providing apparatus of information on the device itself;
With
Responding to the control signal transmitted when the control terminal designates the content so that an information device suitable for the content information designated by the control terminal can be selected from the information devices within the predetermined space area. The information device is characterized in that the space area can be specified to the content providing apparatus by notifying the information of the device itself.   The device information notifying unit notifies information on the device according to a control signal received by the in-region communication unit so that the content providing device can associate the device with the space area and register it as a registered device list. The information device according to claim 7, wherein:   The device information notifying unit notifies information related to the content type or signal format in order to associate the device with the content type or signal format that can be played back by the device and register it in the registered device list. The information device according to claim 8, wherein:   The information device according to claim 7, further comprising a reproduction processing unit that reproduces content provided from the content providing apparatus in response to designation of content by the control terminal. A content providing apparatus that is connected to a control terminal and an information device through a network and provides content to the information device in accordance with an instruction from the control terminal,
A device information acquisition unit for acquiring information of the information device located in a space area where the control signal transmitted by the control terminal can be received;
An area specifying unit for specifying a spatial area in which the control terminal is located based on information on the information device acquired by the device information acquisition unit;
A device selection unit that selects an information device that provides content from among information devices located in the spatial region identified by the region identification unit;
With
Providing content, wherein an information device in the space area is selected based on information on the information device notified from the information device in accordance with the control signal transmitted together with specification of the content by the control terminal apparatus. A device control system including a control terminal connected through a network, an information device, and a content providing device that provides content to the information device in accordance with an instruction from the control terminal,
The control terminal
An in-region communication unit for accessing information equipment in the space region where the terminal is located;
A device information notification control unit for controlling the information device using the in-area communication unit and notifying information of the information device;
A device information notifying unit for notifying the content providing apparatus of information on the information device;
With
The information device is
An in-region communication unit that receives access from the control terminal in the space region in which the device is located;
In response to a control signal received by the intra-region communication unit, a device information notification unit that notifies the control terminal or the content providing apparatus of information on the device itself;
With
The content providing apparatus includes:
A device information acquisition unit for acquiring information of the information device located in a space area where the control signal transmitted by the control terminal can be received;
An area specifying unit for specifying a spatial area in which the control terminal is located based on information on the information device acquired by the device information acquisition unit;
A device selection unit that selects an information device that provides content from among information devices located in the spatial region identified by the region identification unit;
With
An information device in the space area is selected based on information on the information device notified from the information device in accordance with the control signal transmitted together with the content designation by the control terminal. Control system. A control terminal connected through a network, an information device, and a device selection method for causing a content providing apparatus to select a predetermined information device in response to an instruction from the control terminal,
A device in which the information device is controlled by the control terminal using an in-region communication unit for accessing an information device in a spatial region where the control terminal is located, and information on the information device is notified to the control terminal An information notification control step;
A device information notification step of notifying the content providing apparatus of the information device information notified from the information device by the control terminal;
A device information acquisition step in which information of the information device is acquired from the control terminal by the content providing device;
An area specifying step in which a spatial area in which the control terminal is located is specified based on the information on the information apparatus acquired in the apparatus information acquisition step;
A device selection step in which an information device that matches the content specified by the control terminal is selected from the information devices located in the spatial region specified by the region specifying unit;
A device selection method characterized by comprising:   The program for making a computer implement | achieve the function which the control terminal, information equipment, or content provision apparatus in any one of Claims 1-11 has.

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