Media processing apparatus and controlling method thereof

• US 9,992,541 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2015
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sang-soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Idowu, Olugbenga O
• Application Number:
  US14/798,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20150319498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• 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 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895

Abstract

A media processing apparatus is provided. The media processing apparatus includes an interface unit which is connected to each of a plurality of terminal devices through a communication interface including a video channel, an audio channel, and a data channel, a processor which receives a control signal from a first terminal device having control rights, a control unit which notifies the first terminal device if there is an access attempt from at least one of a second terminal device and transfers the control rights to the second terminal device if a message to permit the transfer of the control rights is received from the first terminal device. Accordingly, control rights may be transferred and shared in a reasonable manner.

Claims

1. A media processing apparatus, comprising:

an interface configured to connect to a plurality of terminal devices resulting in a plurality of connected terminal devices;

a controller configured to receive access attempts from the plurality of the connected terminal devices, select one of the plurality of the connected terminal devices to control the media processing apparatus based on the access attempts received from the plurality of the connected terminal devices and receive a control signal from the selected terminal device through the interface; and

a processor configured to perform an operation corresponding to the control signal received through the interface,

wherein the access attempts from each of the plurality of the connected terminal devices comprises requests to control the media processing apparatus,

wherein, in response to the controller determining that a first connected terminal device is being disconnected, the controller selects a second connected terminal device from among the plurality of the connected terminal devices according to an order in which the access attempts are received in the media processing apparatus, and receives the control signal to control the media processing apparatus from the second terminal device and generates a first alarm message to be transmitted to the second connected terminal device to inform the second connected terminal device of the control right and a second alarm message to at least one other terminal device from among the plurality of the connected terminal devices to inform that the second connected terminal device has the control rights, and

wherein the media processing apparatus receives a first control signal, which is an access attempt from among the access attempts, from the first connected terminal, and subsequently, receives a second control signal, which is the access attempt from among the access attempts, from the second connected terminal.

2. The media processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine if the first connected terminal device is being disconnected by periodically monitoring a connection with the first connected terminal device.

3. The media processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of terminal devices are user devices configured to receive input from respective users.

4. The media processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that a connection with the first connected device is cut off, and wherein, in response to the controller determining that the connection with the first connected device is cut off, the processor is configured to perform another operation corresponding to another control signal received from the second terminal device corresponding to the access attempt based on the order.

16. The media processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the controller is further configured to control the interface to transmit the generated second alarm message to each of said other terminals from among the plurality of terminal devices,

the controller of the media processing apparatus determines the order and grants the control rights to the terminal device from the plurality of terminal devices which are remote from the media processing apparatus.

17. The media processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of terminal devices are connected to the media processing apparatus using an S-link interface, wherein the controller generates a third alarm message for the first connected terminal indicating that the second terminal device requests the authority to control the media processing apparatus, and

wherein the access attempts and the control signal are received by the media processing apparatus via the S-link interface and the media processing apparatus provides at least one of audio and video data via the S-link interface to at least two of the plurality of connected terminal devices.

5. A media processing apparatus, comprising:

an interface configured to connect to a plurality of devices resulting in a plurality of connected devices;

a controller configured to;

receive control signals from the plurality of the connected devices, wherein each of the control signals comprise a request to control the media processing apparatus such that only one of the plurality of the connected devices controls the media processing apparatus at a particular point in time;

select a first signal from among the plurality of control signals based on a criteria granted by the received control signals, wherein the selected first signal corresponds to a first device from among the plurality of the connected devices, and

in response to detecting a disconnection with the first device, selecting a second signal from among the plurality of control signals based on the criteria granted by the received control signals, wherein the selected second signal corresponds to a second device from among the plurality of the connected devices and generating a first alarm message to be transmitted to the second connected terminal device to inform the second connected terminal device of the control rights and a second alarm message to at least one other terminal device from among the plurality of the connected terminal devices informing that the second connected terminal device has the control rights; and

a processor configured to perform operations corresponding to the first control signal and the second control signal selected by the controller,

wherein the criteria comprises at least one of;

granting the control of the media processing apparatus to one of the plurality of the connected devices selected based on an order of a receipt of the control signals and granting the control to said one of the plurality of connected devices based on set priorities for each of the plurality of connected devices, and

wherein the media processing apparatus receives the first control signal from among the control signals, from a first connected device from among the plurality of connected devices, and subsequently, receives a second control signal from among the control signals, from a second connected terminal from among the plurality of connected devices.

6. The media processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to periodically monitor an event which forfeits control rights of the first device with respect to the media processing apparatus.

7. The media processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein, in response to the controller detecting an event comprising at least one of a power turn off or a connection cut off with the first device, the controller transfers control rights with respect to the media processing apparatus to the second device.

8. The media processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to control the interface to transmit the first alarm message to the second device indicating that the second device has the control rights.

9. The media processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to:

control the interface to periodically transmit a query to the first device and detect an occurrence of the event based on not receiving a corresponding acknowledgement.

10. The media processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the media processing apparatus is a media reproducing apparatus further comprising a reader configured to read out media data.

11. A method of controlling a media processing apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a first control signal from a connected first terminal device having control rights of the media processing apparatus among a plurality of terminal devices which are connected to the media processing apparatus;

performing an operation, by a processor of the media processing apparatus, corresponding to the received first control signal;

detecting a disconnection with the connected first terminal device; and

receiving a second control signal from a connected second terminal device based on an order where access attempts from the first terminal device and the second terminal device are received in the media processing apparatus in response to the detected disconnection with the first terminal device,

wherein the first control signal and the second control signal are signals for controlling the media processing apparatus,

wherein the access attempts from each of the first terminal and the second terminal device comprises a request to control the media processing apparatus, and

wherein the media processing apparatus receives a first control signal, which is an access attempt from among the access attempts, from the first connected terminal, and subsequently, receives a second control signal, which is the access attempt from among the access attempts, from the second connected terminal,

wherein the media processing apparatus generates a first alarm message to be transmitted to a controlling connected terminal which obtains control rights to the media and a second alarm message to be transmitted to other connected terminals from among the plurality of terminals to inform said other connected terminals that said controlling connected terminal has the control rights.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

in response to the detected disconnection with the first terminal device, selecting the second terminal device based on the order of the receiving of the access attempt signals from the plurality of terminal devices.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the detecting the disconnection with the first terminal device comprises:

periodically transmitting a query to the first terminal device; and

in response to not receiving a response to the transmitted query within a preset period of time, detecting that the disconnection with the first device has occurred,

wherein the disconnection with the first device comprises at least one of a power off of the first device and a connection cut off with the first device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first device and the second device are user terminals configured to receive user commands to generate the first control signal and the second control signal to control the media processing apparatus and to generate access attempt signals to obtain the control rights of the media processing apparatus.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

the media processing apparatus reproducing audio data based on the first control signal from the first terminal, and in response to the control rights being transferred to the second terminal, reproducing the audio data based on the second control signal from the second terminal.