Information processing unit and method, and recording medium

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, and a recording medium, and more particularly to an information processing apparatus and method suitable for an apparatus used by being connected to a digital bus such as an IEEE1394 bus, and a recording medium.

【0002】

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, digitalization has progressed, and networking that connects devices via a digital bus is becoming widespread. As a digital bus, for example, there is an IEEE1394 digital serial bus. As a method of managing the resources of the isochronous channel in the IEEE1394 digital serial bus (hereinafter abbreviated as the IEEE1394 bus), the applicant first, in Japanese Patent Application No. 11-350077, the device connected by the IEEE1394 bus transmits and receives signals. In this case, a method has been proposed in which a transmission / reception channel is set in advance for each device to prevent conflicts with devices in which different channels are set.

【0003】

In this proposed method, the device set as the receiving side listens to input a signal from the preset channel, and the device on the transmitting side receives the signal to the set channel. It is possible to send and receive signals statically by transmitting signals without specifying the device of. Such channel setting is realized by Broadcast connection (hereinafter abbreviated as BC connection) defined by IEEE1394 standard or IEC-61883-1 standard, and is called a default channel.

【0004】

The concept of the default channel is based on the assumption that if the transmitter is changed, the new device will transmit the signal to the same channel, triggered by the user's operation, etc., and the transmitter has already been set up. Since the channel of the BC connection is stolen and the signal is transmitted on the stolen channel, the receiving device switches the input signal without performing any operation.

【0005】

When the signal input by the receiving device is recorded on a built-in recording medium or the like, it is performed by superimposing a point-to-point connection (hereinafter abbreviated as PP connection) on the BC connection already established. This is to prevent the channel on which the signal recorded by the receiving device is being transmitted / received from being stolen by another device and recording another signal.

【0006】

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

As described above, when the receiving device records the input signal, it is performed by superimposing the PP connection on the BC connection already established, so that another transmitting device can seize the channel. It disappears. Such a situation will be described with reference to FIG.

【0007】

As shown in Fig. 1 (A), DTV (Digital Television Receiver) 1, DVTR (Digital Video Tape Recorder) 2-1 and DVTR2-2 are connected to each other by IEEE1394 bus 4. In, for example, when the DVTR2-1 starts recording, a PP connection is established between the DTV1 and the DVTR2-1 over the BC connection. At the next time, when the user tries to watch the signal from DVTR2-2, DTV1 has already established a PP connection with DVTR2-1, so DTVR2-2 will switch to that channel. It cannot be stolen, and as a result, DTV1 cannot input the signal from DVTR2-2 (DTVR2-2 cannot output the signal to DTV1). Therefore, the user cannot view the signal from DTVR2-2.

【0008】

In this way, the channel management method based on the BC connection has a problem that if the PP connection is established due to the start of the recording operation or the like, there may be a problem that the input signal cannot be switched. It was.

【0009】

A channel management method based on PP connection has been proposed as opposed to a channel management method based on BC connection. In this method, only the PP connection is used between all the devices connected to the IEEE1394 bus, and the connection relationship for transmitting and receiving signals by isochronous is established. Such a method will be described with reference to FIG.

【0010】

As shown in Fig. 2 (A), from the state where DTV1 and DVTR2-1 are connected by PP, so that DTV1 and DVTR2-2 are connected by PP as shown in Fig. 2 (C). , If you want to change the connection status, the user first disconnects the DTV1 and DVTR2-1. For example, by operating the stop button of DVTR2-1, the playback operation is stopped, and the connection is disconnected. After that, the user selects DVTR2-2 as the device to be connected on the DTV1 side, and performs a process of starting signal output on the DVTR2-2, for example, operating a play button.

【0011】

As described above, in the channel management method based on the PP connection, every time the transmitting device for transmitting the signal desired to be viewed by the user is changed, the user first receives the signal input destination ( It is necessary to select a transmitting device as a source), and then perform processing for outputting a signal on the selected transmitting device. In this way, having to make settings on both the transmitting device and the receiving device is a troublesome process for the user.

【0012】

The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and the number of operations can be reduced by temporarily disconnecting the PP connection stretched over the BC connection and allowing it to be restored, thereby reducing the number of operations to the user. The purpose is to provide an easy-to-use device.

【0013】

[Means for solving problems]

The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 has a first establishment means for establishing a Broadcast connection and a Point To Point connection on a channel of the Broadcast connection, and a Point To Point established by the first establishment means. It is characterized by including a disconnecting means for disconnecting the connection and a second establishing means for establishing the point-to-point connection disconnected by the disconnecting means on the channel.

【0014】

The device for which the point-to-point connection is established by the second establishment means is the device for which the point-to-point connection is established by the first establishment means, and when the point-to-point connection is established by the second establishment means. It is possible to make the device output the input information or the device instructed by the user.

【0015】

Information about the device for which the Broadcast connection and Point-to-Point connection were established by the first establishment means, and information about the device that exchanged data with the Broadcast connection established when the Point-To-Point connection was released by the disconnection means. Alternatively, it may further include a storage means for storing at least one piece of information about the device for which a point-to-point connection has been established by the second establishment means.

【0016】

The information processing method according to claim 4 is a point established in the first establishment step of establishing a Broadcast connection and also establishing a Point To Point connection on the channel of the Broadcast connection, and the processing of the first establishment step. It is characterized by including a release step for releasing the To Point connection and a second establishment step for establishing the Point To Point connection released by the processing of the release step on the channel.

【0017】

The recording medium program according to claim 5 was established in the first establishment step of establishing the Broadcast connection and also establishing the Point-to-Point connection on the channel of the Broadcast connection, and the processing of the first establishment step. It is characterized by including a release step of releasing the point-to-point connection and a second establishment step of establishing the point-to-point connection released by the processing of the release step on the channel.

【0018】

In the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, the information processing method according to claim 4, and the recording medium according to claim 5, a Broadcast connection is established and a point-to-point connection is made on the channel of the Broadcast connection. Is also established, the established Point-To-Point connection is broken, and then restored.

【0019】

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of an information processing system to which the present invention is applied. As shown in FIG. 3, the DTV10, IRD (Integrated Receiver Decoder) 11, DVTR12-1 and DVTR12-2 are connected to each other via the IEEE1394 bus 3.

【0020】

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the device connected to the IEEE1394 bus 3, the DTV10, IRD11, and DVTR12-1,12-2 in the embodiment shown in FIG. The control unit 21 controls the processing by the unique function processing unit 23 via the IEEE1394 bus 3 by the communication control unit 22 or based on the control signal input from the remote controller (not shown). The unique function processing unit 23 is a part that realizes the unique functions of the device. For example, in the case of the DTV10, it is a function that performs processing such as displaying an image based on an input signal and outputting audio. In the case of 12-2, it is a function to perform processing such as recording and playback.

【0021】

The information storage unit 24 stores programs and signals (data) necessary for the control unit 21 and the unique function processing unit 23 to execute control and processing, and also stores information related to connection relationships described later.

【0022】

In a system composed of devices having such a configuration, the switching process of the signal input to the DTV 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In step S1, the user selects a transmitter (signal source) from the menu screen displayed on the DTV10. The menu screen is displayed on the DTV10 when the power of the DTV10 is turned on or when the display of the menu screen is instructed by operating the remote controller or the like attached to the DTV10.

【0023】

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a menu screen as a GUI (Graphical User Interface) displayed on the DTV 10. The user selects a desired device as a transmission device from the devices displayed on the device list display unit 32 by operating the cursor 31 with a remote controller or the like. Among the devices connected to the IEEE1394 bus 3, the devices targeted as transmission devices are displayed in a list format on the device list display unit 32.

【0024】

The device name on which the cursor 31 is located is highlighted so that it can be distinguished from other device names, such as being displayed in color or the color of characters being highlighted. Further, in addition to the device name where the cursor 31 is located, the device name corresponding to the device connected to the DTV 10 at that time may be similarly displayed so as to make the user recognize it. good.

【0025】

A connection change instruction field 33 is provided below the list display unit 32. This connection change instruction field 33 is a field selected when it is desired to disconnect from the device designated as the transmitting device (display state in FIG. 6) or restore the connection (described later). ..

【0026】

In step S1, when the user selects a desired transmitter from the display screen as shown in FIG. 6, a connection is established with the selected transmitter in step S2. For example, when IRD11 is selected as the transmitter, in step S2, a BC connection is established between the DTV10 and IRD11 on the same channel at the same time as the PP connection.

【0027】

As the process of step S1 when the power of the DTV 10 is turned on, instead of the process of selecting a desired transmitter from the menu screen by the user described above, the device connected when the power was turned off last time. May be selected as the default transmitter. Further, in the case of DTV10, IRD11 may be set to always be selected as the transmitter as a default.

【0028】

When the connection with the device selected as the transmitting device is established in step S2, the DTV 10 stores the information of the connected device in the information storage unit 24 in step S3. The information stored in the information storage unit 24 is information such as a node ID or a Global Unique ID that can distinguish each device individually. When such information is stored in the information storage unit 24 as the process of step S3, in this case, the signal received and processed by the IRD 11 is input to the DTV 10 via the IEEE1394 bus 3, and the user desires it. Start watching the program.

【0029】

In step S4, the PP connection is temporarily released. When this operation is, for example, the user is watching a desired program based on the signal supplied from IRD11, the user desires to watch the program based on the signal supplied from DVTR12-1. The menu screen as shown in 6 is displayed on the DTV10 by performing a predetermined operation. Then, by moving the cursor 31 to the connection change instruction field 33 and selecting it, in this case, the PP connection established between the DTV 10 and the IRD 11 is released.

【0030】

When the connection is released, the menu screen shown in FIG. 6 is switched to the menu screen shown in FIG. 7. That is, the display of the connection change instruction field 33 is switched from "temporarily canceling device selection" to "restoring device selection".

【0031】

When the PP connection is released in step S4, the process proceeds to step S5, and control of the connection relationship is started. When the PP connection is released, the DTV10 is in a state where only the BC connection is established. Therefore, the DTV10 is ready to input the signal transmitted on the channel used for the BC connection. Therefore, for example, the user gives a playback instruction to the DVTR12-1 by performing a predetermined operation, and the DVTR12-1 starts outputting the signal to the channel used for the BC connection according to the instruction. In that case, the signal is input to the DTV10, and the image and sound based on the signal are output.

【0032】

In this way, the user can watch the program based on the signal from the desired device. Furthermore, when the user issues a playback instruction to the DVTR12-2, the DVTR12-2 seizes the BC-connected channel and outputs a signal on that channel, so that the user can use the signal from the DVTR12-2. You can watch programs based on.

【0033】

In this way, the input signal (transmission device) can be switched by simply disconnecting the PP connection and issuing a reproduction instruction or the like to the device to the signal from the desired device.

【0034】

When the PP connection restoration instruction is issued in step S6, the information of the transmitting device instructed to restore the PP connection in step S7 is stored in the information storage unit 24. As an instruction to restore the PP connection, the user determines the program to be watched by switching the signal input to the DTV10 (by switching the program being watched by the DTV10), and for example, as shown in FIG. Menu screen is called, and the screen is instructed by selecting the device that supplies the program to be watched.

【0035】

Selecting the transmitting device from the menu screen is the same process as the process in step S1, and is performed by moving the cursor 31 to the position of the desired device name. If you want to restore the connection before disconnecting the PP connection (in this case, the connection with IRD11), select "Device selection restoration" in the connection change instruction field 33 from the menu screen as shown in Fig. 7. It is also possible to do this.

【0036】

Also, if a signal from one device is continuously input for, for example, 5 minutes or more after the PP connection is released using a timer, the PP connection with that device is superimposed on the BC connection. You may try to establish it. When using a timer, it is necessary to keep track of the transmitter in a state where only the BC connection is established. Therefore, when the restoration of the PP connection is instructed by such processing, the node ID (global unique ID) of the transmitting device in the state where only the BC connection is established is stored in the information storage unit 24. To do so.

【0037】

When the information of the transmitting device instructed to restore the PP connection is stored in step S7, the process proceeds to step S8, and the PP connection with the transmitting device is executed.

【0038】

The above-described processing will be further described with reference to FIG. In the processing of steps S1 to S3, as shown in FIG. 8A, a BC connection and a PP connection are established between the DTV10 and the IRD11 on the same channel (on the Xch). Since it is stipulated that only one signal can be sent and received on one channel, in the situation where two connections, BC connection and PP connection, are established, one signal is used in the mode corresponding to the two connections. Is being dealt with.

【0039】

As shown in Fig. 8 (A), when the BC connection and PP connection are established and the user instructs to switch the signal input to the DTV10, in this case, to switch from IRD11 to DVTR12-1. , As shown in Fig. 8 (B), the PP connection established between DTV10 and IRD11 is released (process in step S4). Then, as the process of step S5, the connection relationship with the DVTR12-1 is controlled, so that the DTV10 and the DVTR12-1 can exchange data with the BC connection of the Xch as shown in FIG. 8 (C). You will be able to do it.

【0040】

In such a state, when the user instructs to return to the original connection as the process of step S6 (when the connection change instruction field 33 is selected on the menu screen shown in FIG. 7), steps S7 and S8 When the process is executed, the state is returned to the state shown in FIG. 8 (A).

【0041】

Further, when the connection state in which the signal from the DTVR12-1 is input to the DTV10 as shown in FIG. 8C is maintained for 5 minutes or more, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the DTV10 and the connection state are maintained. A PP connection is established with the DVTR12-1 by superimposing it on the BC connection.

【0042】

Furthermore, when the menu screen is called and DVTR12-2 is selected as the transmitter from that screen, as shown in Fig. 10, the PP connection is overlaid on the BC connection between the DTV10 and DVTR12-2. Established.

【0043】

By releasing and restoring the PP connection in this way, it is possible to input (view) a signal from a desired device at a desired timing of the user.

【0044】

The series of processes described above can be executed by hardware, but can also be executed by software. When a series of processes are executed by software, it is possible to execute various functions by installing a computer in which the programs that make up the software are embedded in dedicated hardware, or by installing various programs. For example, it is installed from a recording medium on a general-purpose personal computer.

【0045】

As shown in FIG. 11, this recording medium is a magnetic disk 61 (including a floppy disk) on which a program is recorded and an optical disk 62 (CD-), which are distributed to provide a program to a user separately from a computer. It is simply composed of packaged media consisting of ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), DVD (including Digital Versatile Disk), optical magnetic disk 63 (including MD (Mini-Disk)), or semiconductor memory 64. Instead, it is composed of a hard disk or the like including an information storage unit 24 in which a program is stored, which is provided to a user in a state of being pre-installed in a computer.

【0046】

In the present specification, the steps for describing the program provided by the medium are processed in chronological order according to the order described, and are not necessarily processed in chronological order, but are arranged in parallel or individually. It also includes the processing to be executed.

【0047】

Further, in the present specification, the system represents an entire device composed of a plurality of devices.

【0048】

[Effect of the invention]

As described above, according to the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, the information processing method according to claim 4, and the recording medium according to claim 5, a Broadcast connection is established and a point is placed on the channel of the Broadcast connection. Since the To Point connection is also established, the established Point To Point connection is canceled, and then the connection is restored, it is possible to easily switch the input information (device).

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

It is a figure explaining the conventional connection.

[Figure 2]

It is a figure explaining other conventional connection.

[Fig. 3]

It is a figure which shows the structure of one Embodiment of the information processing system to which this application is applied.

[Fig. 4]

It is a figure which shows the internal structure of the apparatus shown in FIG.

[Fig. 5]

It is a flowchart explaining the operation of DTV10.

[Fig. 6]

It is a figure which shows the display example displayed on DTV10.

[Fig. 7]

It is a figure which shows the other display example displayed on DTV10.

[Fig. 8]

It is a figure explaining about the connection method to which this application is applied.

[Fig. 9]

It is a figure explaining about the connection method to which this application is applied.

[Fig. 10]

It is a figure explaining about the connection method to which this application is applied.

[Fig. 11]

It is a figure explaining the medium.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 DTV, 11 IRD, 12 DVTR, 21 Control unit, 22 Communication control unit, 23 Unique function processing unit, 24 Information storage unit, 31 Cursor, 32 Device list display unit, 33 Connection change display field