Distributed audio visual system and content directory management system and method thereof

• US 8,452,802 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2008
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Chen, Chi-Chun, Liu, Jian-Hong, Zhuang, Yi-Chang
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, SHEREE N
• Application Number:
  US12/337,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20090287652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 707/802, 707/223
• US Class Current: 707/769
• 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 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1063 Discovery through centralising entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/278 Content descriptor database or directory service for end-user access details of content or meta data based information retrieval of video data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A distributed audio visual (AV) system including a plurality of media servers, a media renderer, and a control point which are connected to each other via a peer-to-peer network is provided. Each of the media servers includes a content directory management unit (CDMU) and a query content information (QCI) module, wherein the CDMU includes a synchronizer module and a content information maintainer (CIM) module. The synchronizer module synchronizes content information of AV contents stored in all the media servers. The CIM module records the content information and establishes an integrated content directory list according to the content information. The QCI module queries the content information. The control point obtains the integrated content directory list from one of the media servers and queries the content information related to all the AV contents, so as to control the media renderer to play the AV contents.

Claims

1. A content directory management system, comprising:

a first media server, storing first audio visual (AV) contents, wherein the first media server includes a first content directory management unit (CDMU) and a first query content information (QCI) and the first CDMU includes a first synchronizer module and a first content information maintainer (CIM) module; and

a second media server, storing second AV contents, wherein the second media server includes a second CDMU and a second QCI and the second CDMU includes a second synchronizer module and a second CIM module,

wherein the first CIM module records first content information related to the first AV contents and the first synchronizer module transmits the first content information to the second synchronizer module,

wherein the second CIM module records second content information related to the second AV contents and the second synchronizer module transmits the second content information to the first synchronizer module,

wherein the first CIM module records a first synchronized content information in the first media server according to the first content information and the second content information and updates a first integrated content directory list in the first media server based on the first synchronized content information,

wherein the second CIM module records a second synchronized content information in the second media server according to the first content information and the second content information and updates a second integrated content directory list in the second media server based on the second synchronized content information,

wherein the first synchronized content information in the first media server is the same as the second synchronized content information in the second media server,

wherein the first QCI queries the first integrated content directory list and the second QCI queries the second integrated content directory list,

wherein the first media server and the second server are connected via a peer-to-peer network,

wherein the first CDMU further comprises a first categorizer module for categorizing the first synchronized content information according to the file types of the first AV contents and the second AV contents,

wherein the second CDMU further comprises a second categorizer module for categorizing the second synchronized content information according to the file types of the first AV contents and the second AV contents.

2. The content directory management system according to claim 1, wherein the peer-to-peer network comprises a universal plug and play (UPnP) network.

3. The content directory management system according to claim 2, wherein the first media server and the second media server respectively further include a content directory service (CDS) module, and the QCI module is embedded in the CDS module.

4. The content directory management system according to claim 3, wherein the CDS module of the first media server is enabled while the CDS modules of the second media server is disabled.

5. The content directory management system according to claim 4, wherein when the CDS module of the first media server encounters an abnormity, the second synchronizer module of the second media server enables the CDS module of the second media server.

6. The content directory management system according to claim 1, wherein the first synchronized content information comprises a full path name, an Internet protocol (IP) address, a transmission port, and a file size.

7. A content directory management method, for managing audio visual (AV) content stored in a plurality of media servers, the content directory management method comprising:

synchronizing content information related to the AV contents between the media servers;

categorizing the content information of the AV contents according to the file types of the AV contents;

recording the content information related to the AV contents in each of the media servers;

updating an integrated content directory list according to the content information related to the AV contents in each of the media servers;

providing the integrated content directory list from one of the media servers to a control point, wherein the media servers and the control point are connected via a peer-to-peer network;

querying the content information related to the AV contents from the one of the media servers according to the integrated content directory lists received by the control point; and

sending the queried content information to the control point.

8. The content directory management method according to claim 7, wherein the peer-to-peer network is established based on an universal plug and play (UPnP) standard.

9. The content directory management method according to claim 7, further comprising using a content directory service (CDS) module of the media servers to allow the control point to discover the media servers and using the CDS module of the media servers to transmit the integrated content directory list of the AV contents and the content information of the AV contents to the control point.

10. The content directory management method according to claim 9, further comprising enabling the CDS module of the one of the media servers and disabling the CDS modules of the other media servers.

11. The content directory management method according to claim 10, wherein when the CDS module of the one of the media servers encounters an abnormity, the CDS module of any one of the other media servers is enabled.

12. The content directory management method according to claim 7, further comprising playing the AV contents in at least one media renderer connected to the peer-to-peer network under the control of the control point according to the queried content information.

13. The content directory management method according to claim 7, wherein the content information of the AV contents comprises a full path name, an IP address, a transmission port, and a file size.

14. A distributed audio visual (AV) system, comprising:

a plurality of media servers, wherein each of media servers includes;

a content storage unit for storing an audio visual (AV) content, and a content directory management unit (CDMU) having a synchronizer module for synchronizing content information related to the AV contents stored in each of the media servers, a content information maintainer (CIM) module for recording the content information and updating an integrated content directory list according to the content information, and a query content information (QCI) module for querying the content information;

at least one media renderer, for rendering the AV contents;

a control point, for receiving the integrated content directory list from one of the media servers, querying the content information related to the AV contents according to the integrated content directory list through the QCI module of the media server, and controlling the media renderer to render the AV contents;

a peer-to-peer network, for connecting the media servers, the media renderer, and the control point;

a plurality of content directory service (CDS) modules, respectively disposed in the media servers for allowing the control point to discover the media servers and for transmitting the integrated content directory list and the content information of the AV contents to the control point;

at least one rendering control service module, disposed in the media renderer for controlling playing of the AV contents in the media renderer;

a plurality of connection manager service (CMS) modules, respectively disposed in the media servers and the media renderer, for processing connections between the media servers and the media renderer under control of the control point; and

a plurality of audio visual AV) transport service (AVTS) modules, respectively disposed in the media servers and the media renderer, for processing the rendering of the AV contents under the control of the control point,

wherein each of the CDMUs further comprises a categorizer module for categorizing the content information of the AV contents according to the file types of the AV contents.

15. The distributed AV system according to claim 14, wherein the peer-to-peer network comprises an universal plug and play (UPnP) network.

16. The distributed AV system according to claim 14, wherein the CDS module of one of the media servers is enabled while the CDS modules of the other media servers are disabled.

17. The distributed AV system according to claim 16, wherein when the CDS module of the one of the media servers encounters an abnorrnity, the synchronizer module of any one of the other media servers enables the corresponding CDS module.

18. The distributed AV system according to claim 14, wherein the QCI module of each of the media servers is embedded in the CDS module of the media server.

19. The distributed AV system according to claim 14, wherein the content information of the AV contents comprises a full path name, an IP address, a transmission port, and a file size.