KR20100062104A - Mrthod for synchronizing digital contents in or between user group - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of synchronizing content between a group of users or groups is disclosed. The content synchronization system of the present invention allows a plurality of digital devices owned by the same user to have at least one content identically by using a server connected through a network, and the content sharing between groups and users in the same 'synchronization group' It also enables content sharing. To this end, the server receives the metadata of the terminal while receiving a synchronization request from the terminal of the user, so that the server-meta data of the user stored in the server, the server-meta data of another user in the group, or the server of another group user -Each content is provided, deleted or changed according to the result of comparing with the meta data.

Description

{Mrthod for Synchronizing Digital Contents in or between User Group}

The present invention not only synchronizes a specific content through a server so that various terminals owned by the user can be identically maintained, but also by other users of the group to which the user belongs, the content shared by the user or other groups set to be shared with each other. The present invention relates to a content synchronization method for allowing a user to receive shared content.

Advances in networks and information technologies have led to the emergence of various types of digital devices, enabling the provision of various types of content and services.

In addition, a user owns or operates at least one or more digital devices, and uses a digital device suitable for a place and a purpose. For example, mobile phones, computers, notebooks, personal digital assistants (PDAs) are already basic digital devices owned by any user.

Users store their own content, such as images, videos and music files, on some of their digital devices as needed. For example, a user may only keep certain image files on a fixed computer in the office. If the image file has not been moved to a mobile phone or a notebook beforehand and stored, the user who goes out will not be able to view the image file from the outside using the laptop or the mobile phone.

In addition, users want to share specific content with family, friends or work colleagues. However, in addition to direct delivery or sharing via mail, no means were provided for this purpose.

Until recently, this inconvenience has been taken for granted, but the development of information devices and networks has made it possible to solve these problems.

It is an object of the present invention, not only to synchronize a user to a specific content owned by the various terminals owned by the server through the server, but also to other users of the group to which the user belongs to the content shared or shared with other users The present invention provides a user group or a method for synchronizing contents between the groups so that users of the group can receive the shared contents.

In order to achieve the above object, the content synchronization method according to the present invention comprises a request for synchronization while the first terminal of the at least one terminal of the first user provides the first metadata, which is information about the content owned by the server to the server; step; In response to the synchronization request, the server compares the first server-meta data, which is information about the content held in the first server folder for the first user, with the first metadata, and stores the content in the first server folder. Synchronizing with the content stored in the first terminal; In response to the synchronization request, when there is another user belonging to the group to which the first user belongs, the server compares the first metadata with the metadata of the other user and shares the first user with the first user. Determining whether there is content; And if it is determined that there is shared content to the first user, the server extracts the shared content from the server folder of the other user and provides the shared content to the first terminal.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, if there is another group shared with the group to which the first user belongs according to the synchronization request, the server may determine that each of the first-first metadata and the other group user is different. Comparing meta data to determine whether there is content shared by the other group user to the group of the first user; And when it is determined that the user of the other group has the content shared with the group of the first user, the server extracts the content shared with the group of the first user from the server folder of the other group user. The method may further include the step of synchronizing contents between groups provided to the terminal 1-1.

Here, the self-content synchronization step, based on the last changed data of the first server-meta data and the 1-1 metadata, the content held in the first server folder and stored in the 1-1 terminal It is desirable to match the content.

In addition, the group content synchronization step or the inter-group content synchronization step may include content that is determined to be not provided to the first-first terminal among the content shared to the first user or the group to the first-first terminal. It is desirable to provide.

In the content synchronization method according to the present invention, at least one digital terminal managed and operated by a user synchronizes the same content. Therefore, the user may not repeat the operation of storing and managing the same content every time on his or her various terminals.

In addition, according to the present invention, a plurality of users can form a synchronization group through the server, and the users in the group can synchronize by sharing specific content. Therefore, the user can set up a group among family, friends, clubs, or work colleagues, and easily share specific content with the group members. Such a sharing method is convenient because various terminals of the user may automatically receive the content shared by other users, and thus do not need to perform a separate action in terms of the user who receives the shared content.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to synchronize the contents even between the synchronization groups set to be shared with each other, so that the user can provide specific contents to other groups.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a block diagram of a content synchronization system including a digital device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a server 110 and terminals of a plurality of users are connected to each other through a network (not shown). The 1-1 terminal 131 and the 1-2 terminal 133 are examples of a plurality of terminals managed and operated by the first user, and the 2-1 terminal 151 and the 2-2 terminal 153 ) Is an example of a plurality of terminals managed and operated by a second user, and the 3-1 terminal 171 and the 3-2 terminal 173 are examples of a plurality of terminals managed and operated by a third user. to be.

In addition, it is assumed that the first user and the second user belong to the same 'synchronization group A', and the third user is a user belonging to the 'synchronization group B' different from the group A.

Each terminal 131 to 173 of FIG. 1 may correspond to a personal computer, a notebook computer, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a digital camera, or a portable multimedia player (PMP). .

For convenience of description, it is assumed that the 1-1 terminal 131, the 2-1 terminal 151, and the 3-1 terminal 171 are personal computers having similar main functions, characteristics, and capacity of system resources. In addition, it is assumed that the 1-2 terminal 133, the 2-2 terminal 153 and the 3-2 terminal 173 are mobile phones having different main functions, characteristics, and capacity of system resources.

Each terminal 131 ˜ 173 may have a wired and / or wireless interface to connect to the server 110 through a network (not shown) wirelessly and / or wired. Accordingly, the network includes the Internet, a mobile communication network, and other private networks. For example, the server 110 is connected to a core network of a mobile communication network through a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN), and thus, the first-first mobile phone. 2 may be connected to the terminal 133.

The server 110 is connected to each user's terminal through a network to mediate 'self content synchronization', 'group content synchronization', and 'group content synchronization'.

The server 110 may provide a plurality of server folders corresponding to the plurality of users, and each server folder is mapped to a registered user. The server 110 stores the information about the content stored in the server folder of the user as user-specific metadata. FIG. 1 shows a first server folder 111 for a first user, a second server folder 113 for a second user, and a third server folder 115 for a third user.

In the following description, meta data for each user held by the server 110 is referred to as 'server-meta data'. Referring to FIG. 1, server 110 holds first server-meta data for a first user, second server-meta data for a second user, and third server-meta data for a third user. do.

The server-meta data may be changed through a process of synchronizing self content between terminals of a corresponding user or uploading, changing, or deleting content through a web page provided by the server 110. In addition, the server-meta data may be changed by the group content synchronization process or the content synchronization between groups.

<Sync your content>

The server 110 controls the plurality of terminals managed by the user (for example, the first-first terminal and the first-second terminal of the first user) to hold at least one content in the same manner, so-called 'self content synchronization'. Enable '. For example, when the first user stores, deletes or changes specific content a in the 1-1 terminal 131, the server 110 and the 1-2 terminal 133 also store, delete or delete the corresponding content a. Will change. To this end, the server 110 has a user folder (hereinafter referred to as a "server folder") for each registered user to enable 'magnetic content synchronization' of a plurality of terminals possessed by the corresponding user. In this case, the content may be any form that can be reproduced so as to be visually or audibly recognized by a digital device such as an image, music, video, or document files.

<Group content sync>

In addition, the server 110 enables 'group content synchronization' between users belonging to the same group (eg, between the first user and the second user). For example, when a first user belonging to group A shares specific content a to a second user belonging to the same group, the terminals 151 and 153 of the second user are shared by the first user through the server 110. One specific content a can be provided. Group content synchronization may target all users in a group, or may target only specific users in a group.

<Sync Content between Groups>

In addition, the server 110 enables 'group-to-group content synchronization' among groups (eg, between group A and group B) set to be shared with each other.

The server 110 holds information (user ID, type of accessible user terminal, etc.) for each registered user, and provides a predetermined interface through a web page to synchronize as well as opening and closing a group by a specific user. Enable sharing settings between groups.

As the server 110 receives a predetermined 'sync request' from each terminal 131 to 173, the server 110 performs self content synchronization, group content synchronization, and content synchronization between groups. Content synchronization is achieved by receiving content from a corresponding terminal and storing it in a server folder, or by providing specific content stored in a server folder of a terminal user server or another user that has been requested to the terminal. Alternatively, the content stored in the server folder may be deleted or changed, or the content stored in the terminal requesting synchronization may be deleted or changed. Content synchronization is described again below.

Each terminal 131 to 173 may be a digital device having the same major functions, characteristics, and capacity of system resources. However, in terms of content synchronization with the server 110, the operations of the terminals 131 to 173 are performed by the same client program installed in each device, so that most of them are the same.

Preferably, each terminal 131 to 173 may be provided with a separate folder for content synchronization of the present invention, but is not essential. Hereinafter, such a folder is referred to as a 'sync folder'. In addition, the synchronization folders of the respective terminals 131 to 173 may be separately generated for 'self content synchronization', 'group content synchronization', and 'group content synchronization between groups'.

Each terminal 131 to 173 performs synchronization of its own content, group content synchronization, and inter-group content synchronization by synchronizing a request to the server 110 periodically or according to a user's 'synchronization command'. The user's 'synchronization command' is a control command input by the user to each terminal 131 to 173 through a predetermined interface (button operation, etc.), and each terminal 131 to 173 is a server 110 according to the user's synchronization command. Synchronize the content by making a sync request.

For example, an operation in which the first user adds new content to the synchronization folder of the first-first terminal 131 or deletes or changes existing content may be a 'synchronization command'. When the addition of the content is completed, the first-first terminal is to make a synchronization request to the server (110). Therefore, when another user terminal (not shown), which is a digital camera, takes a picture and stores the captured digital image in the memory, the digital camera immediately requests the server 110 to synchronize and provide the image to the server 110. Can be.

Each terminal 131 to 173 transmits to the server 110 information on the metadata of the terminal, a user ID, and the type of the terminal in the synchronization request to the server 110. Here, the metadata is a list of contents held by the corresponding terminal rather than the corresponding user. Thus, for example, the metadata of the first-first terminal 131 is referred to as 'first-first metadata' and the metadata of the first-second terminal 133 is referred to as 'first-second metadata'. The user ID is authentication information for user authentication, and the type of terminal is information on what the corresponding terminal is, such as a personal computer, a mobile phone, or a notebook.

Here, the metadata of each terminal is changed by adding, deleting, or changing content of the user in the corresponding terminal, and also by synchronization with the server 110.

In addition to synchronizing contents among a plurality of terminals owned by a user, the user may share specific contents to all users or some users in the user group to which the user belongs, and other groups set to be shared with the group to which the user belongs. To this end, according to the user's setting, each terminal 131 to 173 sets the content selected by the user among the stored contents to be shared with all in the group, some users in the group, or another sharing group. This information is recorded in the metadata of the corresponding terminal and is provided to the server 110 when a synchronization request to the server 110 is requested.

For example, suppose that the second user shares the content b stored in his 2-2 terminal 153 to the first user. When the terminal 2-153 provides the corresponding content b to the server 110 through a process of synchronizing the server 110, the server 110 stores the content b in the second server folder 113. And record the corresponding shared information in the second server-meta data for the second user. Subsequently, when one of the terminals 131 and 133 of the first user makes a synchronization request, the server 110 displays the content b stored in the second server folder 113 based on the second server-meta data. Provide to the user's corresponding terminal.

If the content provided to another user is the content previously stored in the server 110, the server 110 may change only the server-meta data of the user provided by the sharing without being separately provided.

In the same way, each of the terminals 131 to 173 may share the content selected by the user among the previously stored contents to other groups of users through the process of the synchronization request.

Hereinafter, the content synchronization of the terminal will be described based on FIG. 2, but the content synchronization of the 1-1 terminal 131 will be described below. The description of the content synchronization of the first-first terminal 131 is applied to the other terminals 133 to 173 as it is.

2 is a flowchart provided to explain a content synchronization method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The first-first terminal 131 sends a synchronization request to the server 110 according to a periodic or user's synchronization command. The synchronization request includes information on its own meta data (here, 1-1 meta data), a user ID, and its own terminal type (here, a PC which is a 1-1 terminal). For example, when the first user stores the content c in the 'sync folder' of the first-first terminal 131, the first-first terminal 131 determines the user's storage behavior as the 'synchronization command' of the user, The synchronization request may be made to the server 110 without waiting for a periodic time (S201).

When the server 110 receives the synchronization request from the first-first terminal 131, the server 110 extracts server-meta data corresponding to the user ID included in the synchronization request (here, first server-meta data for the first user). The extracted server-meta data is compared with the 1-1 meta data included in the synchronization request. This comparison is based on the latest version of the two metadata being compared (the most recently changed and stored metadata). For example, the first metadata of the first-first terminal 131 to which the content c has been recently added by the first user will be the latest version (S203).

The server 110 identifies the added, deleted or changed content based on the latest version of metadata and synchronizes the content. Accordingly, the server 110 may receive specific content from the first-first terminal 131 or delete or change specific content stored in the first server folder 111 for the first user. On the contrary, the 1-1st terminal 131 may also provide specific content to or receive specific content from the server 110, and may delete or change specific content stored in its synchronization folder. This synchronization process is based on the latest version of metadata. For example, the server 110 requests and receives the content c from the first-first terminal 131 to store the content c in the first server folder 111 (S205).

When the self content synchronization is completed, the server 110 determines whether there is a group to which the first user belongs for group content synchronization (S207).

As a result of the determination in step S207, if there is a group to which the first user belongs, whether there is content shared with the first user by extracting all the metadata of other users belonging to the group, and the shared content is already present in the first-first terminal 131 Determine whether or not For example, when the second user shares the specific content d with the first user using the second-2 terminal 153, the corresponding content d is stored in the second server folder 113 of the server 110. The shared information is recorded in the second server-meta data for the second user of the server 110. The server 110 checks the second server-meta data of the second user belonging to the same group as the first user to check the content d shared with the first user (S209).

If the server-meta data of another user belonging to the same group as the first user has information about the content shared for the first user, the server 110 extracts the shared content from the server folder of the other user. The group content synchronization is completed by providing the first-first terminal 131 to which synchronization has been requested. The server 110 may prevent the same content from being repeatedly provided by storing a record regarding the provision of the shared content in the first server-meta data of the first user (S211).

When the group content synchronization is completed, the server 110 determines whether there is another group set to be shared with the group to which the user who requested the synchronization belongs (S213).

For example, if group B is set to share with group A, server 110 checks whether there is shared content in group A from the server-meta data of all users of the other set group (group B). It is determined whether or not the information has already been provided to the first-first terminal 131. For example, the third user may share specific content with the group A using his 3-1 terminal 171, and the server 110 may check the fact by querying the third server-meta data. (S215).

If there is content shared with group A from a user of another group, the server 110 extracts the content shared with group A from the server folder of the other group user and provides it to the 1-1 terminal 131 to intergroup. The content synchronization is completed (S217).

The above method is the basic content synchronization method of the present invention. As described above, the above process is also performed in the 1-2 terminal 133 which is another terminal of the first user. Therefore, even if the content b shared by the second user in step S211 is provided to the first-first terminal 131, if the corresponding content b is not provided to the 1-2 terminal 133, the server 110 synchronizes. The shared content b is provided to the requested 1-2 terminal 133.

Depending on the terminal, the content provided through the synchronization process may not be played.

For example, when the content provided from the server 110 by the 1-2 terminal 133, which is assumed to be a mobile phone, is an image file of a bmp format, the 1-2 terminal 133 may play the corresponding content. none. For mobile phones known to date, playable image files can be in JPG format. Therefore, since the bitmap image having the extension bmp cannot be reproduced even if the 1-2 terminal 133 is provided, the server 110 must change the image to the JPG format. In addition, even an image file of JPG format is limited in size.

In addition, in the case of a mobile phone, it may be possible to play only a video of Flash Video (extension flv) format, which is a video file format developed by Adobe Systems. In the case of 3rd generation mobile phones, the video file may be, for example, a 3GP format defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), which defines the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) mobile communication protocol, for multimedia playback on 3rd generation mobile phones. . In the case of a video file, there may be a terminal limited in size.

In addition, some terminals may not be able to view general documents, and may only be able to view Portable Document Format (PDF) files, which are electronic document formats developed by Adobe Systems.

In order to solve this problem in the present invention, the server 110 prepares a file of a format that can be played according to the type of the terminal in advance and retains it before synchronization. The method can be performed in various ways.

The first method is using a personal computer, the 1-1 terminal 131 in the example of FIG. Personal computers can play almost any type of format. When providing the content to the server 110, the first-first terminal 131 checks whether a terminal having a specific format is limited in the terminal list of a user who has previously registered in the server 110, and formats the terminal for the corresponding terminal. And / or change the size to provide it to the server 110.

For example, before the synchronization request, the first-first terminal 131 converts the image file c in the bmp format into the image file c-1 in the jpg format for the 1-2 terminal 133 and separately generates it. Put it. Thereafter, in step S201, the first-first terminal 131 provides the server 110 with the image file c in the bmp format and the image file c-1 in the jpg format, and then deletes the image file c-1 in the jpg format. do. Subsequently, when the 1-2 terminal 133 makes a synchronization request, the server 110 performs step S203 of FIG. 2, rather than the 1-2 metadata provided by the 1-2 terminal 133. It is determined that the first server-meta data is more recent. Therefore, the server 110 should provide the content c to the 1-2 terminal 133. In this case, the server 110 provides the 1-2 terminal 133 with the image file c-1 in the jpg format instead of the image file c in the bmp format, and then deletes the image file c-1. However, when the image file c is shared in the group or the file is shared with another group, the server 110 may keep the image file c-1 in the jpg format without deleting it until the sharing is completed.

The second method is a method in which the server 110 stores some of the server storage-content stored in the server folder 111 by converting the format and / or size for a specific terminal and storing the content separately.

According to an embodiment, through the above two methods, a thumbnail image may be provided by changing a size of a specific image, a thumbnail image may be provided by extracting an image of a specific frame of a video, or a thumbnail may be changed by changing the size of the extracted image. ) May provide an image.

In this way, each terminal of the user holds the same contents desired by the user. In addition, this process is provided in a format that can be played on each terminal, so that the user does not need to separately convert and manage the corresponding content.

Although the above has been illustrated and described with respect to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the above-described specific embodiments, it is usually in the technical field to which the invention belongs without departing from the spirit of the invention claimed in the claims. Various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art, and these modifications should not be individually understood from the technical spirit or the prospect of the present invention.

1 is a block diagram of a clock error detection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a flowchart provided to explain a content synchronization method according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

3 is a view provided to explain the content synchronization method of the present invention.

Claims (6)

Requesting, by a 1-1 terminal among at least one terminal of the first user, providing a 1-1 metadata, which is information about a content held by the first user, to a server; In response to the synchronization request, the server compares the first server-meta data, which is information on the contents held in the first server folder for the first user, with the first-first metadata, and compares the first server folder with the first server folder. A magnetic content synchronization step of synchronizing the contents held with the contents stored in the first-first terminal; In response to the synchronization request, when there are other users belonging to the group to which the first user belongs, the server compares the 1-1 metadata with the metadata of the other user and the other user sends the information to the first user. Determining whether there is shared content; And And if it is determined that the content is shared with the first user, the server extracts the shared content from the server folder of the other user and provides the group content synchronization to the 1-1 terminal. How to sync your content. The method of claim 1, In response to the synchronization request, when there is another group that is shared with the group to which the first user belongs, the server compares the first-first metadata with metadata of each of the other group users so that the other group user may read the first group. Determining whether there is content shared with the group of first users; And If it is determined that the user of the other group has the content shared to the group of the first user, the server extracts the content shared to the group of the first user from the server folder of the other group user to the first group. -1 content synchronization method, characterized in that it further comprises the step of synchronizing the content provided to the terminal. Requesting, by a 1-1 terminal among at least one terminal of the first user, providing a 1-1 metadata, which is information about a content held by the first user, to a server; In response to the synchronization request, the server compares the first server-meta data, which is information on the contents held in the first server folder for the first user, with the first-first metadata, and compares the first server folder with the first server folder. A magnetic content synchronization step of synchronizing the contents held with the contents stored in the first-first terminal; In response to the synchronization request, when there is another group shared with the group to which the first user belongs, the server compares the first-first metadata with the metadata of each of the other group users and the other group user Determining whether there is content shared with the group of first users; And If it is determined that the user of the other group has the content shared to the group of the first user, the server extracts the content shared to the group of the first user from the server folder of the other group user to the first group. -1 content synchronization method, characterized in that it comprises an inter-group content synchronization step to provide to the terminal. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The self content synchronizing step may include content held in the first server folder and content stored in the first-first terminal based on the last changed data among the first server-meta data and the first-first meta data. Content synchronizing method; The method of claim 1, The group content synchronization step, And providing the first-first terminal with contents determined to be not provided to the first-first terminal among the contents shared with the first user. The method according to claim 2 or 3, The content synchronization step between groups, And providing the first-first terminal with contents determined to be not provided to the first-first terminal among contents shared with the group of the first user.

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