Apparatus and method for coordinately managing media content

• US 8,495,187 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Do-heon
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, TAE K
• Application Number:
  US10/998,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20050135341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,157 Days
• Field of Search: 709/250, 709/218, 709203-208, 709/217, 709/223, 709/226, 709/227, 709229-231, 725/74, 725 78- 83, 725/85
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] 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: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/457 containing identifiers of data entities on a computer, e.g. file names

Abstract

An apparatus that is connected to and controls a media server and a media renderer that is connected to a home network, stores and manages information regarding media content included in the media server, and provides a directory service with respect to all media content under a home network environment. The apparatus includes a media server directory module which stores and manages meta data of the media content comprised in all media servers existing under the home network environment and stores and manages connection information regarding the media servers. Also included is a proxy media server module which provides a content directory service, and a media server control point module which controls the media server directory module and the proxy media server module, searches for the media content, and brings and stores the meta data of the searched media content in the media server directory module.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing media content, the apparatus being connected to and controlling a first media server and a media renderer, which are connected to a home network, the apparatus storing and managing information regarding media content in the first media server, and providing a directory service with respect to media content under a home network environment, the apparatus comprising:

a media server directory module which stores and manages meta data of the media content in media servers existing under the home network environment and which stores and manages connection information regarding the media servers, the media servers comprising the first media server that provides a first service of a content directory service of the first media server for accessing the media content;

a proxy media server module which provides all services of a content directory service of the media servers for accessing the media content using the meta data of the media content managed by the media server directory module and which transmits meta data corresponding to media content to be played back by a media renderer to the media renderer if the media content to be played back is requested to be played back, the services of the content directory service of the media servers comprising the first service and a second service unsupported by the first media server for accessing the media content and the media renderer receiving the media content to be played back from the first media server that stores the media content based on the meta data received from the proxy media server module; and

a media server control point module which controls the media server directory module and the proxy media server module, searches for the media content comprised in all of the media servers, and retrieves and stores the meta data of searched media content in the media server directory module,

wherein the media server control point module comprises;

a media server management layer which manages and monitors a state of each of the media servers existing on the home network and transmits information regarding a control point component corresponding to each media server to a media server component layer;

a media server component layer which generates a control point component corresponding to each media server according to the information regarding to the control point component received from the media server management layer, manages the generated control point component, and controls a content directory service, a connection manager service, and an audio or video transport service which are provided by the media servers; and

a control point framework which transmits a command of the media server control point module to one of the media servers on the home network,

wherein the connection information is information that identifies a connection manager service related with a connection between the media servers and the media renderer and an audio or video transport service related with transmission of streaming of the media content between the media servers and the media renderer which are provided by each of the media servers,

wherein at least one of the media server directory module, the proxy media server module and the media server control point module is implemented by a processor, and

wherein the first service comprises a browse function and the second service comprises a search function.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the media server management layer transmits a search message to all of the media servers existing on the home network using the control point framework and transmits the information regarding the control point component corresponding to each media server to the media server component layer according to a result of receiving a message, which is transmitted by a media server supporting the search function, responding to the search message.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the media server management layer senses a particular media server login to or logout from the home network and reports a sensed result to the media server component layer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the media server component layer comprises:

a content directory service synchronizing layer which synchronizes the media content provided by all of the media servers with the meta data of the media content, which is stored in a content directory service database layer within the media server directory module;

a content directory service section which controls a content directory service function provided by a media server corresponding to a particular control point component within the media server component layer;

a connection manager service section which controls a connection manager service function provided by a media server corresponding to a particular control point component within the media server component layer; and

an audio or video transport service section which controls an audio or video transport service function provided by a media server corresponding to a particular control point component within the media server component layer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the media server directory module comprises:

a content directory service database layer which stores and manages the meta data of the media content comprised in the media servers existing under the home network environment and updates the meta data;

a connection manager service directory section which manages information regarding a connection manager service provided by the media servers and provides the information regarding the connection manager service to the proxy media server module; and

an audio or video transport service directory section which manages information regarding an audio or video transport service provided by the media servers and provides the information regarding the audio or video transport service to the proxy media server module.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the content directory service database layer updates the meta data according to an operation of a content directory service synchronizing layer which synchronizes the media content provided by the media servers with the meta data of the media content, which is stored in the media server directory module.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the meta data is divided into containers and items when managed.

8. A method of managing media content located on devices of a home network using a content directory device, the method comprising:

searching for information regarding media content stored on the devices using a media server control point module of the content directory device, the devices comprising a first media server that provides a first service of a content directory service of the first media server for accessing media content;

providing the searched for information to a media server directory module comprising a content directory service database layer; and

providing the searched for information to a proxy media server module comprising a proxy content directory service section using the content directory service database layer, the proxy media server module providing all services of a content directory service of the devices of the home network for accessing the media content and transmitting meta data corresponding to the media content to be played back by a media renderer to the media renderer if the media content to be played back is requested to be played back, the services of the content directory service of the devices of the home network comprising the first service and a second service unsupported by the first media server for accessing the media content and the media renderer receiving the media content to be played back from a media server that stores the media content based on the meta data received from the proxy media server module,

wherein the media server control point module further comprises;

a media server management layer which manages and monitors a state of each of the media servers existing on the home network and transmits information regarding a control point component corresponding to each media server to a media server component layer;

a media server component layer which generates a control point component corresponding to each media server according to the information regarding to the control point component received from the media server management layer, manages the generated control point component, and controls a content directory service, a connection manager service, and an audio or video transport service which are provided by the media servers; and

a control point framework which transmits a command of the media server control point module to one of the media servers on the home network,

wherein the information regarding to the control point component is information that identifies a connection manager service related with a connection between the media servers and the media renderer and an audio or video transport service related with transmission of streaming of the media content between the media servers and the media renderer which are provided by each of the media servers, and

wherein the first service comprises a browse function and the second service comprises a search function.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein when information regarding media content in media servers existing in a home network environment is changed after providing the searched for information, which is transmitted by a media server supporting the search function, to the content directory service database layer, the content directory service database layer updates the searched information with the changed information.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the information is meta data of the media content.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the proxy content directory service section provides a content directory service function according to meta data of the media content.

12. A method of managing media content located on devices of a home network using a content directory device, comprising:

receiving at a proxy content directory service section of the content directory device a request for information regarding a content directory service;

transmitting from the proxy content directory service section the request to a content directory service database layer;

computing at the content directory service database layer a result of the request for information regarding the content directory service; and

reporting a computation result to the proxy content directory service section,

wherein the computing comprises;

searching for information regarding media content of the devices using a media server control point module, the devices comprising a first media server that provides a first service of a content directory service of the first media server for accessing the media content of the first media server;

providing the searched for information to a media server directory module comprising the content directory service database layer; and

providing the searched for information to a proxy media server module comprising the proxy content directory service section using the content directory service database layer, the proxy media server module providing all services of a content directory service of the devices of the home network for accessing the media content of the first media server and transmitting meta data corresponding to media content to be played back by a media renderer to the media renderer if the media content to be played back is requested to be played back, the services of the content directory service of the devices of the home network comprising the first service and a second service unsupported by the first media server for accessing the media content of the first media server and the media renderer receiving the media content to be played back from the first media server that stores the media content based on the meta data received from the proxy media server module, and

wherein the media server control point module comprises;

a media server management layer which manages and monitors a state of each of the media servers existing on the home network and transmits information regarding a control point component corresponding to each media server to a media server component layer;

a media server component layer which generates a control point component corresponding to each media server according to the information regarding to the control point component received from the media server management layer, manages the generated control point component, and controls a content directory service, a connection manager service, and an audio or video transport service which are provided by the media servers; and

a control point framework which transmits a command of the media server control point module to one of the media servers on the home network,

wherein the information regarding to the control point component is information that identifies the connection manager service related with a connection between the media servers and the media renderer and the audio or video transport service related with transmission of streaming of the media content between the media servers and the media renderer which are provided by each of the media servers, and

wherein the first service comprises a browse function and the second service comprises a search function.