DLNA-compliant device, DLNA connection setting method, and program

• US 8,402,135 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kondo, Kazumoto, Imai, Kazuhiro, Nakajima, Yasuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Clayton R
• Application Number:
  US12/733,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20100185764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/025 LAN communication management
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/045 using multiple communication channels, e.g. parallel and serial
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/047 using display data channel standard [DDC] communication
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/06 Consumer Electronics Control, i.e. control of another device by a display or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/10 Use of a protocol of communication by packets in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/12 Use of DVI or HDMI protocol in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• 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 7/52 Systems for transmission of a pulse code modulated video signal with one or more other pulse code modulated signals, e.g. an audio signal or a synchronizing signal assembling of a multiplex stream by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, assembling of a packetised elementary stream at server side H04N21/236; disassembling of a multiplex stream, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, extraction or processing of Service Information, disassembling of packetised elementary stream at client side H04N21/434

Abstract

[Problem]

To enhance the ease of use of a network by a DLNA-compliant device.

[Solving Means]

A television receiver 250 discovers another DLNA-compliant device connected to a network (S3). Then the television receiver 250 determines an IP address of eHDMI connection (S4) and, in the case of a device directly connected by HDMI, connection setting of a DLNA with that device is automatically executed (S5 through S8). The television receiver 250 may present each connection setting state to a user on a user interface screen, thereby making the user execute checking. In configuring an AV system, the user may execute direct connection by HDMI to enhance the ease of use of an AV system 200 without having to execute the connection setting of DLNA.

Claims

1. A DLNA-compliant device, comprising:

a device discovery section configured to discover another network-connected DLNA-compliant device;

a device decision section configured to decide whether said another DLNA-compliant device discovered by said device discovery section is a DLNA-compliant device directly connected by a transmission path of HDMI based on a bias potential of a reserved line of an HDMI cable connected to said DLNA-compliant device; and

a connection setting section configured to execute connection setting of DLNA with said another DLNA-compliant device decided to be said directly connected DLNA-compliant device by said device decision section,

wherein said device decision section enquires the another DLNA-compliant device discovered by said device discovery section for HDMI compliance via a CEC line of the HDMI cable.

2. The DLNA-compliant device according to claim 1, wherein said device discovery section discovers said another network-connected DLNA-compliant device by device discovery of UPnP.

3. The DLNA-compliant device according to claim 1, wherein said device decision section enquires the another DLNA-compliant device discovered by said device discovery section for HDMI compliance by comparing the bias potential of the reserved line of the HDMI cable with a reference voltage, thereby determining whether said another DLNA-compliant device is a DLNA-compliant device directly connected by a transmission path of HDMI.

4. The DLNA-compliant device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a signal reception section configured to receive a video signal by a differential signal over a plurality of channels from the another DLNA-compliant device directly connected via said transmission path of HDMI; and

a communication section configured to execute bidirectional communication by use of a predetermined line configuring said transmission path of HDMI.

5. The DLNA-compliant device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a user confirmation section configured for a user to confirm by use of a user interface screen that connection setting is executed by said connection setting section.

6. A DLNA connection setting method using a DLNA-compliant device, the method comprising:

a device discovery step of discovering another network-connected DLNA-compliant device;

a device decision step of deciding whether said another DLNA-compliant device discovered by said device discovery section is a DLNA-compliant device directly connected by a transmission path of HDMI based on a bias potential of a reserved line of an HDMI cable connected to the DLNA-compliant device; and

a connection setting step of executing connection setting of DLNA with said another DLNA-compliant device decided to be said directly connected DLNA-compliant device in said device decision step,

wherein said device decision step enquires the another discovered DLNA-compliant device for HDMI compliance via a CEC line of the HDMI cable.

7. A computer-readable device recorded with a computer program configured to control a DLNA-compliant device to carry out a DLNA connection setting method, comprising:

discovering another network-connected DLNA-compliant device;

deciding whether said another DLNA-compliant device discovered by said discovering step is a DLNA-compliant device directly connected by a transmission path of HDMI based on a bias potential of a reserved line of an HDMI cable connected to the DLNA- compliant device; and

executing connection setting of DLNA with said another DLNA-compliant device decided to be said directly connected DLNA-compliant device by said deciding step,

wherein said deciding step enquires the another discovered DLNA-compliant device for HDMI compliance via a CEC line of the HDMI cable.

8. A DLNA-compliant device, comprising:

a device discovery section configured to discover another network-connected DLNA-compliant device;

a device decision section configured to decide whether said another DLNA-compliant device discovered by said device discovery section is a DLNA-compliant device directly connected by a transmission path of HDMI based on a bias potential of a reserved line of an HDMI cable connected to the DLNA-compliant device; and

an access permission setting section configured, if an access request is made from a first DLNA-compliant device not directly connected to said transmission path of HDMI to a second DLNA-compliant device directly connected by said transmission path of HDMI, to set a permission of said access,

wherein said device decision section enquires the another DLNA-compliant device discovered by said device discovery section for HDMI compliance via a CEC line of the HDMI cable.

9. The DLNA-compliant device according to claim 8, wherein said device discovery section discovers said another network-connected DLNA-compliant device by device discovery of UPnP.

10. The DLNA-compliant device according to claim 8, wherein said device decision section enquires the another DLNA-compliant device discovered by said device discovery section for HDMI compliance by comparing the bias potential of the reserved line of the HDMI cable with a reference voltage, thereby determining whether said another DLNA-compliant device is a DLNA-compliant device directly connected by a transmission path of HDMI.

11. The DLNA-compliant device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a signal reception section configured to receive a video signal by a differential signal over a plurality of channels from the another DLNA-compliant device directly connected via said transmission path of HDMI; and

a communication section configured to execute bidirectional communication by use of a predetermined line configuring said transmission path of HDMI.

12. The DLNA-compliant device according to claim 8, wherein, if an access request is made from a first DLNA-compliant device not directly connected to said transmission path of HDMI to a second DLNA-compliant device directly connected by said transmission path of HDMI, said access permission setting section sets permission of access to another DLNA-compliant device directly connected by said transmission path of HDMI along with said second DLNA-compliant device.

13. The DLNA-compliant device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a user confirmation section configured for a user to confirm by use of a user interface screen that the setting is executed by said access permission setting section to permit access.

14. A DLNA connection setting method using a DLNA-compliant device, the method comprising:

a device discovery step of discovering another network-connected DLNA-compliant device;

a device decision step of deciding whether said another DLNA-compliant device discovered by said device discovery step is a DLNA-compliant device directly connected by a transmission path of HDMI based on a bias potential of a reserved line of an HDMI cable connected to the DLNA-compliant device; and

an access permission setting step of, if an access request is made from a first DLNA-compliant device not directly connected to said transmission path of HDMI to a second DLNA-compliant device directly connected by said transmission path of HDMI, setting a permission of said access,

wherein said device decision step enquires the another discovered DLNA-compliant device for HDMI compliance via a CEC line of said transmission path of HDMI.

15. A computer-readable device recorded with a computer program configured to control a DLNA-compliant device to carry out a DLNA connection setting method, comprising:

discovering another network-connected DLNA-compliant device;

deciding whether said another DLNA-compliant device discovered by said discovering step is a DLNA-compliant device directly connected by a transmission path of HDMI; and

if an access request is made from a first DLNA- compliant device not directly connected to said transmission path of HDMI to a second DLNA-compliant device directly connected by said transmission path of HDMI, setting a permission of said access,

wherein said deciding step enquires the another discovered DLNA-compliant device for HDMI compliance via a CEC line of said transmission path of HDMI.