Method and terminal for reproducing content

• US 10,499,004 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2017
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Jong-hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US15/664,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20170332038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 386201, 386200, 386230, 386234, 386235, 386239, 386248, 386278, 386285, 386321, 386337, 386338, 386339, 386340
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4302 Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A method of reproducing content is provided. The method performed by a terminal includes operations of obtaining metadata corresponding to a predetermined portion of the content, selecting, based on the metadata, at least one external device to reproduce the predetermined portion of the content, transmitting a control command to the at least one external device, and reproducing the predetermined portion of the content by interoperation of the terminal with the at least one external device to which the control command is transmitted.

Claims

1. A content reproduction apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a display;

a communication interface; and

at least one processor configured to;

control the display to display image data of a content which is being reproduced on the display,

control the communication interface to establish a connection between the content reproduction apparatus and at least one external device,

extract a characteristic of the content by analyzing audio data of the content,

obtain, from the extracted characteristic, information about an operation to be performed by the at least one external device to reproduce an audio portion of the content, and

control the at least one external device to perform the operation of reproducing the audio portion of the content based on the information obtained.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the content reproduction apparatus and the at least one external device are synchronized such that the content reproduction apparatus displays the image data of the content and the at least one external device performs the operation of reproducing the audio portion of the content.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to select, from among a plurality of external devices connected to the content reproduction apparatus, the at least one external device that is to reproduce a portion of the content.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the display to display a list of a plurality of external devices connected to the content reproduction apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

execute a first application for reproducing the content, and

execute a second application for controlling the at least one external device to perform the operation of reproducing the audio portion of the content.

6. The apparatus of claim 5,

wherein the first application transmits the information obtained from the extracted characteristic to the second application, and

wherein the second application converts the information into a control command according to a control protocol of the at least one external device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

perform image processing on the content, and

obtain, from the result of the image processing of the content, additional information about the operation to be performed by the at least one external device to reproduce the audio portion of the content.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the communication interface to:

transmit the content to a gateway that connects the content reproduction apparatus to the at least one external device,

contemporaneously request the information about the operation to be performed by the at least one external device, and

receive information about the operation to be performed by the at least one external device to reproduce the audio portion of the content from the gateway.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the communication interface to transmit a control command to the at least one external device via a gateway that connects the content reproduction apparatus to the at least one external device.

10. A method of reproducing content by a content reproduction apparatus, the method comprising:

displaying image data of a content which is being reproduced on a display of the content reproduction apparatus;

extracting a characteristic of the content by analyzing audio data of the content;

obtaining, from the extracted characteristic, information about an operation to be performed by at least one external device to reproduce an audio portion of the content; and

controlling, by the content reproduction apparatus, the at least one external device to perform the operation of reproducing the audio portion of the content based on the information obtained.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the content reproduction apparatus and the at least one external device are synchronized such that the content reproduction apparatus displays the image data of the content and the at least one external device performs the operation of reproducing the audio portion of the content.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

selecting, from among a plurality of external devices connected to the content reproduction apparatus, the at least one external device that is to reproduce a portion of the content.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

displaying a list of a plurality of external devices connected to the content reproduction apparatus.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

executing a first application for reproducing the content and a second application for controlling the at least one external device to perform the operation of reproducing the audio portion of the content.

15. The method of claim 14,

wherein the first application transmits the information obtained from the extracted characteristic to the second application, and

wherein the second application converts the information into a control command according to a control protocol of the at least one external device.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the obtaining of the information further comprises:

performing image processing on the content, and

obtaining, from the result of the image processing of the content, additional information about the operation to be performed by the at least one external device to reproduce the audio portion of the content.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the obtaining of the information comprises:

transmitting the content to a gateway that connects the content reproduction apparatus to the at least one external device,

contemporaneously requesting the information about the operation to be performed by the at least one external device, and

receiving information about the operation to be performed by the at least one external device to reproduce the audio portion of the content from the gateway.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon one or more computer programs which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to control for:

displaying image data of a content which is being reproduced on a display of a content reproduction apparatus;

extracting a characteristic of the content by analyzing audio data of the content;

obtaining, from the extracted characteristic, information about an operation to be performed by at least one external device to reproduce an audio portion of the content; and

controlling, by the content reproduction apparatus, the at least one external device to perform the operation of reproducing the audio portion of the content based on the information obtained.