Digital living network alliance (DLNA) server that serves contents from IVL services

• US 20100036907A1
• Filed: 08/05/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tao, David, Sugivama, Nobukazu, Douillet, Ludovic
• Granted Patent: US 8,396,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/437 Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server flow control in data networks H04L47/10; streaming protocols, e.g. RTP or RTCP, H04L65/65; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests in data packet switching networks H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

Audio and video (A/V) content information is acquired from each of a group of web-based servers located outside of a home network. The A/V content information identifies A/V content stored in association with each of the group of web-based servers. The A/V content information acquired from each of the group of web-based servers is aggregated. The aggregated A/V content information is provided to a DLNA client device within the home network. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Claims

1. A method of aggregating audio and video (A/V) content located outside a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) home network for access within the DLNA home network, comprising:

acquiring A/V content information from each of a plurality of web-based servers located outside of a home network, where the A/V content information identifies A/V content stored in association with each of the plurality of web-based servers;

aggregating the A/V content information acquired from each of the plurality of web-based servers; and

providing the aggregated A/V content information to a DLNA client device within the home network.

2. The method according to claim 1, where acquiring the A/V content information further comprises requesting the A/V content information from the plurality of web-based servers located outside of the home network and receiving the A/V content information from each of the plurality of web-based servers.

3. The method according to claim 2, where requesting the A/V content information from the plurality of web-based servers located outside of the home network further comprises generating a web protocol A/V content information request associated with each of the plurality of web-based servers and sending the associated web protocol A/V content information request to each of the plurality of web-based servers.

4. The method according to claim 3, where generating the web protocol A/V content information request associated with each of the plurality of web-based servers further comprises further comprises generating a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)-based message associated with each of the plurality of web-based servers.

5. The method according to claim 3, where acquiring the A/V content information further comprises receiving a web protocol A/V content information response from each of the plurality of web-based servers each including the A/V content information acquired from each of the plurality of web-based servers.

6. The method according to claim 1, where aggregating the A/V content information acquired from each of a plurality of web-based servers further comprises storing the A/V content information acquired from each of a plurality of web-based servers with local A/V content information that represents A/V content stored within a locally-accessible A/V content storage medium.

7. The method according to claim 1, where aggregating the A/V content information acquired from each of a plurality of web-based servers further comprises forming the A/V content information acquired from each of the plurality of web-based servers into a hierarchical representation navigable by a user of the DLNA client device.

8. The method according to claim 7, where providing the aggregated A/V content information to the DLNA client device within the home network further comprises providing the hierarchical representation to the DLNA client device.

9. The method according to claim 8, where providing the hierarchical representation to the DLNA client device further comprises generating a DLNA content list message representing the hierarchical representation and sending the DLNA content list message to the DLNA client device.

10. The method according to claim 1, where each item of A/V content information received from each of the plurality of web-based servers further comprises a received uniform resource identifier (URI) associated with an item of A/V content and further comprising mapping each received URI to a local reference URI.

11. The method according to claim 10, where providing the aggregated A/V content information further comprises providing the local reference URI associated with each item of A/V content information to the DLNA client device.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a list of provisioned web-based servers from which the plurality of web-based servers is selected.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising receiving the list of provisioned web-based servers from an Internet video link (IVL) provisioning server.

14. The method according to claim 1, where the A/V content information acquired from each of the plurality of web-based servers further comprises at least one of a uniform resource identifier (URI) associated with an item of A/V content and a URI associated with a thumbnail image associated with the item of A/V content.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a DLNA request from the DLNA client device for an item of A/V content identified by an item of the aggregated A/V content information.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising converting the DLNA request to a web protocol request including the item of the aggregated A/V content information and requesting the item of A/V content from the associated web-based device using the web protocol request.

17. The method according to claim 16, where converting the DLNA request to a web protocol request further comprises mapping a local reference uniform resource identifier (URI) associated with the requested item of A/V content to a URI associated with a storage location for the requested item of A/V content at the associated web-based device.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving the item of A/V content from the associated web-based device as at least a part of a web protocol response;

converting the web protocol response to a DLNA response including the item of A/V content; and

sending the DLNA response including the item of A/V content to the DLNA client device.

19. The method according to claim 1, where acquiring the A/V content information from each of a plurality of web-based servers is performed in response to a DLNA request for A/V content information received from the DLNA client device.

20. A Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) audio and video (A/V) content aggregation device for aggregating content located outside a DLNA home network for access within the DLNA home network, comprising:

a memory adapted to store representations of A/V content;

a processor programmed to;

acquire A/V content information from each of a plurality of web-based servers located outside of a home network, where the A/V content information identifies A/V content stored in association with each of the plurality of web-based servers;

aggregate the A/V content information acquired from each of the plurality of web-based servers;

store the aggregated A/V content information to the memory; and

provide the aggregated A/V content information to a DLNA client device within the home network.

21. The device according to claim 20, where the processor is further programmed to request the A/V content information from the plurality of web-based servers located outside of the home network and receive the A/V content information from each of the plurality of web-based servers.

22. The device according to claim 21, where the processor is further programmed to generate a web protocol A/V content information request associated with each of the plurality of web-based servers and send the associated web protocol A/V content information request to each of the plurality of web-based servers.

23. The device according to claim 22, where the processor is further programmed to generate a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)-based message associated with each of the plurality of web-based servers.

24. The device according to claim 22, where the processor is further programmed to receive a web protocol A/V content information response from each of the plurality of web-based servers each including the A/V content information acquired from each of the plurality of web-based servers.

25. The device according to claim 20, where the processor is further programmed to store the A/V content information acquired from each of a plurality of web-based servers with local A/V content information that represents A/V content stored within the memory.

26. The device according to claim 20, where the processor is further programmed to form the A/V content information acquired from each of the plurality of web-based servers into a hierarchical representation navigable by a user of the DLNA client device.

27. The device according to claim 26, where the processor is further programmed to provide the hierarchical representation to the DLNA client device.

28. The device according to claim 27, where the processor is further programmed to generate a DLNA content list message representing the hierarchical representation and send the DLNA content list message to the DLNA client device.

29. The device according to claim 20, where each item of A/V content information received from each of the plurality of web-based servers further comprises a received uniform resource identifier (URI) associated with an item of A/V content and the processor is further programmed to map each received URI to a local reference URI.

30. The device according to claim 29, where the processor is further programmed to provide the local reference URI associated with each item of A/V content information to the DLNA client device.

31. The device according to claim 20, where the processor is further programmed to receive a list of provisioned web-based servers from which the plurality of web-based servers is selected and to store the list within the memory.

32. The device according to claim 31, where processor is further programmed to receive the list from an Internet video link (IVL) provisioning server.

33. The device according to claim 20, where the A/V content information acquired from each of the plurality of web-based servers further comprises at least one of a uniform resource identifier (URI) associated with an item of A/V content and a URI associated with a thumbnail image associated with the item of A/V content.

34. The device according to claim 20, where the processor is further programmed to receive a DLNA request from the DLNA client device for an item of A/V content identified by an item of the aggregated A/V content information.

35. The device according to claim 34, where the processor is further programmed to convert the DLNA request to a web protocol request including the item of the aggregated A/V content information and request the item of A/V content from the associated web-based device using the web protocol request.

36. The device according to claim 35, where the processor is further programmed to map a local reference uniform resource identifier (URI) associated with the requested item of A/V content to a URI associated with a storage location for the requested item of A/V content at the associated web-based device.

37. The device of claim 35, where the processor is further programmed to:

receive the item of A/V content from the associated web-based device as at least a part of a web protocol response;

convert the web protocol response to a DLNA response including the item of A/V content; and

send the DLNA response including the item of A/V content to the DLNA client device.

38. The device according to claim 20, where the processor is further programmed to acquire the A/V content information from each of a plurality of web-based servers is performed in response to a DLNA request for A/V content information received from the DLNA client device.

39. A Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) audio and video (A/V) content aggregation device for aggregating content located outside a DLNA home network for access within the DLNA home network, comprising:

a memory adapted to store representations of A/V content;

a processor programmed to;

receive the list of provisioned web-based servers located outside of a home network from an Internet video link (IVL) provisioning server;

select a plurality of web-based servers from the list of provisioned web-based servers located outside of the home network;

generate a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)-based A/V content information request message associated with each of a plurality of web-based servers, where the A/V content information identifies A/V content stored in association with each of the plurality of web-based servers;

send the HTTP-based A/V content information request message to each of a plurality of web-based servers;

receive an HTTP response message including the A/V content information associated with each of the plurality of web-based servers from each of the plurality of web-based servers;

form the A/V content information received from each of the plurality of web-based servers into a hierarchical representation;

aggregate the hierarchical representation of the A/V content information received from each of the plurality of web-based servers;

combine the aggregated hierarchical representation with a hierarchical representation of local A/V content information that represents A/V content stored within the memory;

store the combined aggregated hierarchical representation of the A/V content information to the memory;

generate a DLNA content list message representing the combined aggregated hierarchical representation of the A/V content information; and

send the DLNA content list message to a DLNA client device within the home network.