Content playback device

0001The present invention relates to a content reproduction device that reproduces content and outputs the content at a plurality of places.

0002Conventionally, among the speakers installed in each room, a system capable of outputting arbitrary contents from any speaker has been proposed. In this system, the user selects the content to be played and the room to be output. Then, the selected content is output in the selected room. When the user moves to another room, the user can listen to the content in the other room by changing the room to be output.

0003Further, Patent Document 1 proposes a system that can change the place where music is played according to the movement of a user by detecting manned or unmanned in each room and playing music in the manned room. Has been done.

<p num="0004"><patcit num="1"><text>Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-199795</text></patcit></p>

<p num="0005"> In the conventional system, when the user moves to another room, the room to be output is newly selected and the content is not output in the room where the user has been in (turn off the speaker or power off the speaker). I had to choose mute). Therefore, it is necessary for the user to perform annoying operations.</p><p num="0006"> In addition, the system of Patent Document 1 can be used only when there is only one person at home. For example, if there are people in each of the two rooms, the content will be output in both rooms, and the content will be output in rooms other than the room where the specific user (the user who instructed to play the content) is. It ends up.</p><p num="0007"> Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a content reproduction device capable of outputting content instructed to be reproduced by a specific user at a place corresponding to the movement of the specific user without performing complicated operations. ..</p>

<p num="0008"> The content reproduction device of the present invention comprises a content reproduction means for reproducing content, a user identification means for identifying a specific user, a detection means for detecting a place to which the specific user identified by the user identification means belongs, and the detection means. The content is provided with a control means for outputting the content to a detected location and not outputting the content at another location.</p><p num="0009"> In this way, the content playback device identifies the specific user, outputs the content to the place to which the specific user belongs, and prevents the content from being output to another place. As a result, the specific user can continue to listen to the content that he / she was listening to even after moving. Further, even when there are a plurality of people, the content is output only in the place where the specific user is.</p><p num="0010"> The place to which the specific user belongs can be detected by using a plurality of operation receiving means (for example, a switch) installed for each place. In this case, the detection means determines that the specific user belongs to the place where the switch is pressed.</p><p num="0011"> Further, the place to which the specific user belongs can also be detected by detecting the position of the terminal owned by the user. As a method for detecting the position of the terminal, for example, GPS can be used, or radio field strength in wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the like can be used.</p><p num="0012"> Further, the user identification means may identify a plurality of specific users. In this case, the detection means detects the place to which each specific user belongs, and the control means outputs the content for each specific user to the place where each specific user is.</p><p num="0013"> When the output of the content is stopped, the control means preferably retains the identification information of the stopped content and the information related to the specific user corresponding to the content. As a result, in a situation where the first specific user is listening to the first content in the first room, the second specific user moves to the first room and the first content is in the first room. If the output is stopped and the second content is output, and then the first specific user moves to another room (second room), the first content can be played again in the second room. it can.</p>

<p num="0014"> According to the present invention, it is possible to output the content instructed to be played by the specific user at a place corresponding to the movement of the specific user without performing complicated operations.</p>

0015<figref num="1">It is an overall block diagram of a content reproduction system.</figref><figref num="2">It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a receiver, a speaker, and a user terminal.</figref><figref num="3">It is a figure which shows the structure which outputs the content to each room according to the movement of a user.</figref><figref num="4">It is a figure which shows the mode of detecting the place to which a user belongs by using the switch (operation reception means) installed in each room.</figref><figref num="5">It is a figure which shows the mode which identifies a plurality of users and outputs the content of each user to the place where each user is present.</figref><figref num="6">It is a figure which shows the content reproduction system when the network speaker is used.</figref><figref num="7">It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a network speaker.</figref><figref num="8">It is a figure which shows the mode of detecting the place to which a user belongs by using the switch (operation reception means) installed in each room.</figref><figref num="9">It is a figure which shows the example of the case where a receiver and a speaker are connected by an analog audio cable.</figref><figref num="10">It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a receiver, a speaker, a beacon terminal, and a user terminal (smartphone).</figref>

0016FIG. 1A is an overall configuration diagram of a content reproduction system including the content reproduction apparatus of the present invention.

0017The content playback system includes a receiver 5, a speaker 7A, a speaker 7B, a speaker 7C, and a user terminal 9. Speakers 7A, 7B, and 7C are connected to the receiver 5.

0018Speaker 7A is located in room 1A, speaker 7B is located in room 1B, and speaker 7C is located in room 1C. The receiver 5 is installed at a predetermined position in the dwelling 3 (room 1B in this example). The user operates the receiver 5 to instruct the playback of arbitrary content.

0019The user terminal 9 is a terminal carried by the user, such as a smartphone or a Bluetooth tag. The user carries the user terminal 9 and moves between rooms. For example, in FIG. 1 (A), the user is in room 1B. When the user operates the receiver 5 to instruct the playback of arbitrary content, the content is output from the speaker 7B of the room 1B in which the user is located. Here, in the content playback system of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 (B), when the user moves to the room 1A, the content is output from the speaker 7A of the room 1A, and the content is output in the other rooms. It will be stopped. As described above, in the content playback system of the present embodiment, the user can continue to listen to the content that he / she was listening to even after moving, and the content is output at other places without any complicated operation. There is nothing to do.

0020FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configurations of the receiver 5, the speaker 7B, and the user terminal 9. Although the configuration of the speaker 7B is typically shown in FIG. 2, the speaker 7A, the speaker 7B, and the speaker 7C all have the same configuration and function.

0021The receiver 5 includes a content storage unit 101, a control unit 102, a memory 103, a network communication unit 104, and a user interface (I / F) 105. A content storage unit 101, a memory 103, a network communication unit 104, and a user I / F 105 are connected to the control unit 102.

0022The memory 103 stores a program (OS and application program) for operating the receiver 5. The control unit 102 reads the program stored in the memory 103 and controls the operation of the receiver 5. For example, the control unit 102 reads and reproduces data (audio data) related to the content from the content storage unit 101 based on the user's operation received via the user I / F 105 (thus, the control unit 102 reads and reproduces the data (audio data). Functions as a means of playing content). For example, when the read audio data is compressed audio data, the control unit 102 decodes the compressed audio data and converts it into a digital audio signal.

0023In this example, the data related to the content is read from the content storage unit 101 in the own device, but the data related to the content, the digital audio signal, the analog audio signal, or the like is input from another device. There may be.

0024The control unit 102 outputs a digital audio signal related to the reproduced content via the network communication unit 104. In the example of FIG. 2, the control unit 102 outputs the digital audio signal related to the reproduced content to the speaker 7B.

0025Note that, in FIG. 2, the network communication unit 104 conforms to the standard of the wired LAN, and shows a mode in which the receiver 5 and the speaker 7B are connected via the wired LAN. However, the receiver 5 and the speaker 7B may be connected via wireless communication such as a wireless LAN. Further, the receiver 5 and the speaker 7B may be connected via a digital audio cable such as S / PDIF. Further, the receiver 5 and the speaker 7B may be connected via an analog audio cable. When connected with an analog audio cable, the control unit 102 converts the digital audio signal into an analog audio signal and outputs it. In this case, various information such as user identification information described later is transmitted and received by another configuration (for example, a switch or the like).

0026The speaker 7B includes a control unit 91, a network communication unit 92, a memory 93, a BT (Bluetooth) communication unit 94, and a speaker unit 95. A network communication unit 92, a memory 93, a BT (Bluetooth) communication unit 94, and a speaker unit 95 are connected to the control unit 91.

0027The memory 93 stores a program (OS and application program) for operating the speaker 7B. The control unit 91 reads the program stored in the memory 93 and controls the operation of the speaker 7B. For example, the control unit 91 converts the digital audio signal output from the receiver 5 via the network communication unit 92 into an analog audio signal. The analog audio signal is amplified by an amplifier (not shown) and emitted from the speaker unit 95. The speaker unit 95 and the amplifier (not shown) are not limited to the example in which the speaker 7B is built in, and may be separately provided externally.

0028The BT communication unit 94 transmits and receives a beacon signal conforming to the Bluetooth Low Energy standard (hereinafter referred to as BLE). Further, the user terminal 9 has a built-in BT communication unit 910, and the BT communication unit 910 also transmits / receives a beacon signal conforming to BLE. The BT communication unit 94 receives the beacon signal transmitted by the user terminal 9.

0029The control unit 91 measures the distance to the user terminal 9 based on the received radio wave intensity of the beacon signal received by the BT communication unit 94. Since the radio field strength is inversely proportional to the square of the distance, it can be converted into information regarding the distance between the speaker 7B and the user terminal 9. In addition, the beacon signal includes user identification information. The user identification information is unique information uniquely determined for each user, such as the serial number of the user terminal 9 or the MAC address.

0030The control unit 93 transmits the user identification information and the distance information from the user terminal 9 to the receiver 5 via the network communication unit 92.

0031The control unit 102 of the receiver 5 stores the received user identification information in the memory 103. At this time, the control unit 102 stores the content identification information (information such as the song title) indicating the currently playing content and the received user identification information in association with each other in the memory 103 (thus, the control unit 102 stores the content identification information) in the memory 103. , Acts as a user identification means to identify a specific user). The receiver 5 has a function of accepting user settings such as a "user setting button", and when the user setting button is pressed, the closest user identification information and the content identification information are associated with each other. May be good.

0032The beacon signal output by the user terminal 9 may also be received by the speaker 7A or the speaker 7C installed in another room. In this case, the user identification information and the distance information are transmitted from each speaker to the receiver 5. The control unit 102 determines that the user is in the room where the speaker closest to the user terminal 9 is installed, transmits the digital audio signal to the speaker 7B, and does not transmit the digital audio signal to the other speakers. To do.

0033For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, when the user is in room 1B, the speaker 7B is closest to the user terminal 9. Therefore, the content (music) is output from the speaker 7B, and the content is not output from the speaker 7A and the speaker 7C.

0034On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3 (B), for example, when the user moves to the room 1A, the speaker 7A is closest to the user terminal 9. Therefore, the control unit 102 of the receiver 5 transmits the digital audio signal to the speaker 7A closest to the user terminal, and prevents the digital audio signal from being output to the other speakers. As a result, the content (music) is output from the speaker 7A, and the content is not output from the speaker 7B and the speaker 7C.

0035In this way, in the content reproduction system of the present embodiment, the user can continue to listen to the content that he / she was listening to even after moving, without performing complicated operations.

0036Various information such as user identification information and distance information may be transmitted via a network (wired LAN or wireless LAN) as described above, but a BT communication unit is provided in the receiver and transmitted via BLE. You may try to do it.

0037The mode for controlling the output of the content can also be performed as follows. For example, the receiver 5 transmits a digital audio signal to all speakers, and transmits information instructing to mute to speakers other than the speaker in the room where the user is (the speaker closest to the user terminal).

0038Further, as a detection means for detecting the place to which the user belongs, in the above example, the aspect of measuring the distance by the radio wave intensity by BLE is shown, but it is also detected by acquiring the position information of the user terminal 9 using GPS, for example. It is also possible to realize the means. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, it is also possible to detect the place to which the user belongs by using a switch (operation receiving means) installed in each room.

0039In the content playback system shown in FIGS. 4 (A) and 4 (B), the switch 8A is installed in the room 1A, the switch 8B is installed in the room 1B, and the switch 8C is installed in the room 1C instead of the user terminal 9. Has been done. Switch 8A, switch 8B, and switch 8C are connected to receiver 5.

0040In the example of FIG. 4 (A), the user operates the switch 8B when entering the room 1B. The operation information of the switch 8B is transmitted to the receiver 5. The receiver 5 transmits the digital audio signal to the speaker 7B of the room 1B in which the switch 8B is installed, and prevents the digital audio signal from being transmitted to the other speakers. Therefore, the content (music) is output from the speaker 7B, and the content is not output from the speaker 7A and the speaker 7C.

0041On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4 (B), the user operates the switch 8A when entering the room 1A. The operation information of the switch 8A is transmitted to the receiver 5. The receiver 5 transmits the digital audio signal to the speaker 7A of the room 1A in which the switch 8A is installed, and prevents the digital audio signal from being transmitted to the other speakers. Therefore, the content (music) is output from the speaker 7A, and the content is not output from the speaker 7B and the speaker 7C. Alternatively, the receiver 5 may not transmit the digital audio signal to the speaker 7B where the user was immediately before, and may stop only the output of the speaker where the user was immediately before.

0042In this way, the user can continue to listen to the content he / she was listening to even after moving, simply by operating the switch.

0043Next, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a mode in which a plurality of users are identified and the content for each user is output to the place where each user is.

0044In the state of FIG. 5A, there is a user 90A who has the user terminal 9A in the room 1B, and there is a user 90B who has the user terminal 9B in the room 1C. Each user operates the receiver 5 in advance (or uses a terminal such as a smartphone) to select the content to be played. At this time, the control unit 102 of the receiver 5 stores the content identification information reproduced by each user and the user identification information of each user in association with each other in the memory 103. When the content is selected by operating the receiver 5, the user identification information transmitted by the user terminal detected as a closer distance to the receiver 5 (that is, the speaker 7B) at that time is associated with the content identification information. When operated using a terminal such as a smartphone, the user identification information is transmitted from the smartphone to the receiver 5 and associated with the content identification information.

0045As a result, as shown in FIG. 5A, in the room 1B, the content 95A instructed to be played by the user 90A possessing the user terminal 9A is output, and in the room 1C, the user 90B possessing the user terminal 9B is output. The content 95B instructed to play is output.

0046Here, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the user 90B having the user terminal 9B moves to the room 1B and moves to the position closest to the speaker 7B, the control unit 102 of the receiver 5 moves to the speaker 7B. , The digital audio signal related to the content 95B is transmitted, and the digital audio signal related to the content 95B is not output to other speakers. That is, in this state, the output of the content 95A is stopped. However, even in this state, the user identification information of the user 90A and the content identification information of the content 95A are stored in association with each other in the memory 103.

0047Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5C, when the user 90A moves to the room 1A, the user identification information of the user 90A is transmitted from the speaker 7A, so that the control unit 102 of the receiver 5 sends the content 95A to the speaker 7A. The digital audio signal related to the content 95A is transmitted so that the digital audio signal related to the content 95A is not output to other speakers. As a result, the user 90A can move the content 95A that was being listened to in the room 1B to the room 1A and listen to it.

0048Next, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a content reproduction system when a network speaker 70A, a network speaker 70B, and a network speaker 70C are used instead of the receiver 5.

0049In this example, the network speaker 70A, the network speaker 70B, and the network speaker 70C are installed in room 1A, room 1B, and room 1C, respectively. In addition, the user has a smartphone 81 as a user terminal. The network speaker 70A, the network speaker 70B, the network speaker 70C, and the smartphone 81 are all connected via a network.

0050FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the main configurations of the network speaker 70B and the smartphone 81. Although the configuration of the network speaker 70B is typically shown in FIG. 7, the network speaker 70A, the network speaker 70B, and the network speaker 70C all have the same configuration and function.

0051The network speaker 70B has the same configuration as the speaker 7B, but further includes a content storage unit 101. The smartphone 81 includes a control unit 85, a memory 86, a network communication unit 87, and a touch panel 88 in addition to the configuration of the user terminal 9.

0052The memory 86 stores programs (OS and application programs) for operating the smartphone 81. The control unit 85 reads the program stored in the memory 86 and controls the operation of the smartphone 81. For example, the control unit 85 displays a predetermined image on the touch panel 88 based on the user's operation received via the touch panel 88.

0053The network speaker 70A, the network speaker 70B, the network speaker 70C, and the smartphone 81 are all connected via a network.

0054The user operates the touch panel 88 to instruct the playback of arbitrary content from the content stored in the content storage unit 101.

0055It is not necessary that all of the network speaker 70A, the network speaker 70B, and the network speaker 70C are provided with the content storage unit 101, and any one of the network speakers may be provided with the content storage unit 101. Further, the content storage unit 101 may be provided in the smartphone 81.

0056The control unit 91 of the network speaker 70B reads and reproduces the content from the content storage unit 101 instructed by the user.

0057The control unit 91 outputs an audio signal related to the reproduced content to another network speaker via the speaker unit 95 of its own device or the network communication unit 92. In the example of FIG. 6A, the control unit 91 outputs an audio signal to the speaker unit 95 of the own device.

0058The operation of the content reproduction system according to this example is the same as that of the content reproduction system shown in FIG. 1, and the network speaker 70B acts as the master unit and performs the same operation as the receiver 5. That is, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the user is in room 1B, the speaker 7B is closest to the smartphone 81 (corresponding to the user terminal 9 in FIG. 1). Therefore, the content (music) is output from the network speaker 70B, and the content is not output from the network speaker 70A and the network speaker 70C.

0059On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6B, for example, when the user moves to room 1A, the network speaker 70A is closest to the smartphone 81. Therefore, the control unit 91 of the network speaker 70B transmits the digital audio signal to the network speaker 70A closest to the user terminal (smartphone 81), and prevents the digital audio signal from being output to other speakers. As a result, the content (music) is output from the network speaker 70A, and the content is not output from the network speaker 70B and the network speaker 70C.

0060The smartphone 81 can be used as a master unit to perform the same operation as the receiver 5. In this case, the control unit 85 of the smartphone 81 reads and reproduces the content from the content storage unit 101 provided in the own device (or any network speaker), and digitally transmits the content to the network speaker closest to the user terminal (smartphone 81). Send audio signals and avoid outputting digital audio signals to other speakers. In this case, the speaker (or a switch provided in the room) transmits BLE beacon signals, and the smartphone 81 calculates the distance based on the received radio wave intensity of these beacon signals to determine the speaker closest to the user terminal. Alternatively, the speaker (or a switch provided in the room) receives the beacon signal output from the user terminal, transmits the received radio wave intensity of the beacon signal to the smartphone 81, calculates the distance on the smartphone 81, and is the most user. Determine which speaker is closest to the terminal.

0061Further, even when a network speaker is used, as shown in FIG. 8, it is possible to detect the place to which the user belongs by using a switch (operation receiving means) installed in each room. However, in the example of FIG. 8, each switch is connected to the network speaker of each room.

0062In the state shown in FIG. 8A, the user operates the switch 8B when entering the room 1B. The operation information of the switch 8B is transmitted to the network speaker 70B which is a master unit. The network speaker 70B outputs the content from its own device and prevents the digital audio signal from being transmitted to other network speakers. Therefore, the content (music) is output from the network speaker 70B, and the content is not output from the network speaker 70A and the network speaker 70C.

0063Here, as shown in FIG. 8 (B), when the user moves to the room 1A and operates the switch 8A, the network speaker 70A connected to the switch 8A is multicast (a method of inquiring all the devices at once). ) To make an inquiry. Then, the network speaker 70B, which is a master unit, confirms the content identification information stored in the memory 93, and transmits the content identification information (or a digital audio signal related to the content) to the network speaker 70A. Further, the network speaker 70B stops the output of the content in the own device. As a result, the network speaker 70A outputs the same content as the content output by the network speaker 70B in the room 1B in FIG. 3 (A). At this time, the master unit may be switched to the network speaker 70A.

0064It is also possible to combine the mode in which the receiver shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 is used and the mode in which the network speaker shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 is used. In this case, the receiver 5 functions as a master unit and causes each speaker connected to the own device or a network speaker to output the content.

0065Next, FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example in the case where the receiver and the speaker are connected by an analog audio cable. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configurations of a receiver, a speaker, a beacon terminal, and a user terminal (smartphone). The receiver 50 in this example further comprises an output I / F 106. The output I / F 106 is connected to the speaker 7A, the speaker 7B, and the speaker 7C via an analog audio cable, and outputs an analog audio signal. Speakers 7A, 7B, and 7C output sound based on the input analog audio signal, and do not have other complicated configurations and functions.

0066The beacon terminal 80A, the beacon terminal 80B, and the beacon terminal 80C have the same configuration and the same function. FIG. 10 shows the configuration of the beacon terminal 80B as a representative. The beacon terminal 80B includes a control unit 801, a network communication unit 802, a memory 803, and a BT communication unit 804, and has the same configuration as the speaker 7B. The smartphone 81 has the same configuration and functions as the example shown in FIG.

0067In the content playback system according to this example, in the state of FIG. 9A, the user operates the touch panel 88 of the smartphone 81 when entering the room 1B. Then, the smartphone 81 transmits the BLE beacon signal via the BT communication unit 910. The beacon terminal 80B receives the beacon signal and calculates the distance to the smartphone 81 based on the received radio wave intensity of the beacon signal. The calculated distance information is transmitted to the receiver 50. Alternatively, the beacon terminal 80B transmits a BLE beacon signal, the distance to the beacon terminal 80B is calculated based on the received radio wave strength of the beacon signal received by the smartphone 81, and the distance information to the beacon terminal 80B is transmitted to the receiver 50. You may send it.

0068As a result, the receiver 50 determines that the user is closest to the beacon terminal 80B, determines that the user is in the room 1B where the beacon terminal 80B is installed, that is, the speaker 7B is installed, and determines that the user is in the room 1B where the speaker 7B is installed. The audio signal is output to, and the output of other speakers 7A and 7C is stopped (muted).

0069Then, as shown in FIG. 9B, when the user moves to the room 1A and operates the smartphone 81, the distance information is transmitted from the beacon terminal 80A to the receiver 50. Therefore, the receiver 50 determines that the user is in the room 1A where the beacon terminal 80A is installed, that is, the speaker 7A is installed, outputs an audio signal to the speaker 7A, and outputs the other speakers 7B and the speaker 7C. Stops (mute) or stops the output of speaker 7B in room 1B where the user was just before.

0070As described above, in any mode of the content playback system, the user can continue to listen to the content that he / she was listening to even after moving, without performing complicated operations.

00711A, 1B, 1C ... room 5,50 ... receiver 7A, 7B, 7C ... Speaker 8A, 8B, 8C ... switch 9,9A, 9B ... User terminal 70A, 70B, 70C ... Network Speaker 80A, 80B, 80C ... Beacon terminal 81 ... smartphone