Method for sharing audio/video content over network, and structures of sink device, source device, and message

• US 20050254524A1
• Filed: 05/04/2005
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: An, Cheol-hong
• Application Number:
  US11/121,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20050254524A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/487
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• 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 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

A method of sharing audio/video (A/V) content in a network, a sink device, a source device, and the structure of a message. The method of sharing the A/V content via the network includes: receiving information regarding the sharing state of the A/V content from a source device, which provides the A/V content; transmitting a request to transmit the shared A/V content, to the source device; and receiving the shared A/V content from the source device in response to the request. Accordingly, it is possible to share content with a plurality of devices in the network. Particularly, by providing a content sharing configuration in a receiving device having a user interface, more varied scenarios may be provided.

Claims

1. A method of sharing audio/video (A/V) content through a network, the method comprising:

receiving information regarding a sharing state of the A/V content from a source device, which provides the A/V content;

transmitting a request for the A/V content to the source device; and

receiving the A/V content from the source device in response to the request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for the A/V content is generated by a sink device that desires to share the A/V content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the request comprises transmitting a request which designates a sharing mode which indicates a sharing type of the A/V content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the sharing mode comprises a new mode that requests the A/V content to be transmitted to a sink device independently, regardless of the A/V content being transmitted to another sink device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the sharing mode comprises a superimposition mode that requests the A/V content, which is transmitted to another sink device, be transmitted in superimposition to a sink device.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the sharing mode comprises a redirection mode that requests the A/V content being transmitted to another sink device be transmitted to a sink device in succession and stops the transmission to the another sink device.

7. A method of sharing audio/video (A/V) content through a network, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a second sink device to transmit the A/V content being transmitted to a first sink device to the second sink device; and

transmitting the A/V content being transmitted to the first sink device to the second sink device in response to the request.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the receiving of the request comprises transmitting a request which designates a sharing mode which indicates a sharing type of the A/V content with the first sink device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the sharing mode comprises a new mode that requests the A/V content to be transmitted to the second sink device independently, regardless of the A/V content being transmitted to the first sink device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the sharing mode comprises a superimposition mode that requests the A/V content, which is transmitted to the first sink device, be transmitted in superimposition to the second sink device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the sharing mode comprises a redirection mode that requests the A/V content being transmitted to the first sink device be transmitted in succession to the second sink device and stops the transmission to the first sink device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising stopping the transmission of the A/V content to the first sink device.

13. A sink device for sharing audio/video (A/V) content in a network, the sink device comprising:

a first processor that requests information regarding the A/V content from a source device, which provides the A/V content, and that receives information on another sink device, which is sharing the A/V content, in response to the request; and

a second processor that generates and transmits, to the source device, a request message to transmit the A/V content, and that receives the A/V content from the source device in response to the request.

14. The sink device of claim 13, wherein the second processor designates a sharing mode which indicates the sharing type of the A/V content with the another sink device, in the request message.

15. The sink device of claim 14, wherein the sharing mode comprises a new mode that requests the A/V content to be transmitted to the sink device independently, regardless of the A/V content being transmitted to the another sink device.

16. The sink device of claim 14, wherein the sharing mode comprises a superimposition mode that requests the A/V content, which is transmitted to the another sink device, be transmitted in superimposition.

17. The sink device of claim 14, wherein the sharing mode comprises a redirection mode that requests the A/V content being transmitted to the another sink device be transmitted in succession to the sink device and stops the transmission to the another sink device.

18. The sink device of claim 13, wherein the first processor is configured as a media server control point, and the second processor is configured as a streaming client.

19. A source device for sharing audio/video (A/V) content in a network, the source device comprising:

a first processor that transmits information on a sharing state of the A/V content to a second sink device in response to a request of the second device, which requests a transmission of information regarding the A/V content being transmitted to a first sink device; and

a second processor that transmits the A/V content, which is transmitted to the first sink device, to the second sink device in response to the request of the second sink device.

20. The source device of claim 19, wherein the second processor receives a request which designates a sharing mode which indicates the sharing type of the A/V content with the first sink device.

21. The source device of claim 20, wherein the sharing mode comprises a new mode that requests the A/V content to be transmitted to the second device independently, regardless of the A/V content being transmitted to the first sink device.

22. The source device of claim 20, wherein the sharing mode comprises a superimposition mode that requests the A/V content, which is transmitted to the first sink device, be transmitted in superimposition to the second sink device.

23. The source device of claim 20, wherein the sharing mode comprises a redirection mode that requests the A/V content being transmitted to the first sink device be transmitted in succession to the second sink device and stops the transmission to the first sink device.

24. The source device of claim 23, further comprising stopping the transmission of the A/V content to the first sink device.

25. The source device of claim 19, wherein the first processor is configured as a media server control point, and the second processor is configured as a streaming client.

26. A structure of a response message of a sink device for responding to an audio/video (A/V) content information request transmitted to a source device from a sink device, the A/V content information request being a request to share the A/V content via a network, the structure of the response message comprising:

a type field of the requested A/V content; and

a sharing device identifier field indicating a sharing device, which shares the A/V content with the source device.

27. The structure of the response message of claim 26, wherein the response message uses an hyper text transfer protocol (HTTP) response message.

28. A structure of a response message for an audio/video (A/V) content information request transmitted to a source device from a sink device, the A/V content information request being a request to share the A/V content via a network, the structure of the response message comprising:

an information field for identifying A/V content that desires to be shared;

a sharing mode field that shows a sharing type of the A/V content with another sink device; and

a device identifying field to identify the sink device transmitting the request message.

29. The structure of the response message of claim 28, wherein the response message uses an hyper text transfer protocol (HTTP) response message.

30. The structure of the response message of claim 28, wherein a sharing mode comprises a new mode that requests the A/V content to be transmitted to the sink device independently, regardless of the A/V content being transmitted to the another sink device.

31. The structure of the response message of claim 28, wherein the sharing mode includes a superimposition mode that requests the A/V content , which is transmitted to the another sink device, be transmitted in superimposition to the sink device.

32. The structure of the response message of claim 28, wherein the sharing mode includes a redirection mode that requests the A/V content being transmitted to the another sink device be transmitted in succession to the sink device and stops the transmission to the another sink device.