INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM

• US 20090193469A1
• Filed: 03/07/2007
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Igarashi, Tatsuya
• Application Number:
  US11/911,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20090193469A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• 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 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A configuration is provided in which a device within a home network receives and plays back content from a server that is located outside the home network. A home IMS gateway maps the external server located outside the home network as a virtual home network device, and executes reception of a content provision service provided by the external server through application of the mapping information. Further, at the time of executing switching processing of channels that provide content provided by the external server, the home IMS gateway executes termination of an inactive channel that occurs due to the channel switching.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a communication section that executes communication processing via a home network; and

a data processing section that executes reception processing of a content provision service provided by an external server through application of mapping information that sets the external server located outside the home network as a virtual home network device,

wherein the data processing section is configured to execute termination processing of an inactive channel that occurs due to channel switching at the time of executing switching processing of channels that provide content provided by the external server.

2. The information processing apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein:

the data processing section is configured to execute a process of transmitting an IGMP leave (IGMP leaving;

message to the external server or a management server as a message according to IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) if the terminated channel is for multicast distributed content.

3. The information processing apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein:

the data processing section is configured to execute a process of converting an HTTP request for a channel change from a DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) device into IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol).

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the data processing section is configured to execute a process of acquiring a content list corresponding to a channel selected in accordance with a provided profile on the basis of provision of a user profile or a client profile to the external server, in a process of receiving from the external server a content list corresponding to content that can be provided by the external server.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the data processing section is configured to execute SIP message transmission according to SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) if channel switching accompanies switching of service providers, and not to execute SIP message transmission in the case of channel switching for content provided by the same service provider.

6. An information processing method executed by an information processing apparatus, comprising:

a communication step of causing a communication section to execute communication processing via a home network;

a content receiving step of causing a data processing section to execute reception processing of a content provision service provided by an external server through application of mapping information that sets the external server located outside the home network as a virtual home network device; and

a channel controlling step of causing the data processing section to execute termination processing of an inactive channel that occurs cue to channel switching at the time of executing switching processing of channels that provide content provided by the external server.

7. The information processing method according to Claim 6, wherein:

the channel controlling step includes a step of executing a process of transmitting an IGMP leave (IGMP leaving) message to the external server or a management server as a message according to IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) if the terminated channel is for multicast distributed content.

8. The information processing method according to claim 6, wherein:

the channel controlling step includes a step of executing a process of converting an HTTP request for a channel change from a DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) device into IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol).

9. The information processing method according to Claim 6, wherein:

the data processing section is configured to further execute a process of acquiring a content list corresponding to a channel selected in accordance with a provided profile on the basis of provision of a user profile or a client profile to the external server, in a process of receiving from the external server a content list corresponding to content that can foe provided by the external server.

10. The information processing method according to Claim 6, wherein:

the channel controlling step executes SIP message transmission according to SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) if channel switching accompanies switching of service providers, and does not to execute SIP message transmission in the case of channel switching for content provided by the same service provider.

11. A computer program for causing an information processing apparatus to execute information processing, comprising:

a communication step of causing a communication section to execute communication processing via a home network;

a content receiving step of causing a data processing section to execute reception processing of a content provision service provided by an external server through application of mapping information that sets the external server located outside the home network as a virtual home network device; and

a channel controlling step of causing the data processing section to execute termination processing of an inactive channel that occurs due to channel switching at the time of executing switching processing of channels that provide content provided by the external server.