JP6008664B2 - Output instruction device, output device, and content output system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an output instruction device, an output device, and a content output system, and more particularly, to a technique suitable for use in outputting content stored on various networks.

  In recent years, content sharing services on the Web have been widely used by general users, and many users have uploaded many contents on such Web services. In general, the access authority for an account for each Web service is managed for these contents, and in order to access each content, it is necessary to obtain an access token by logging in to each service. In such a situation, there is an increasing demand for easily printing and displaying contents stored in various formats on various networks.

  The 3Box print model in DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) will be described below. In the 3 Box print model in DLNA, an output instruction device different from the printer creates an XHTML (Extensible Hyper Text Markup Language) document and sends it to the printer.

  The printer downloads an image from the content server in accordance with the XHTML document and performs printing. At this time, the printer may not be able to access the link to the content described in the XHTML document. In response to this problem, Patent Document 1 proposes to temporarily evacuate content based on content provision time information. Patent Document 2 proposes that all acquired contents are registered in a content DB (Database), and the contents are acquired from the DB when printing is performed again.

JP 2009-130848 A JP 2010-3063 A

  The broadcast receiving device proposed in Patent Document 1 proposes to temporarily hold content with a limited provision period. However, there is no method for determining whether or not to retain content whose provision period is not specified. For this reason, all contents whose provision period is not specified must be temporarily stored, and unnecessary contents are accumulated.

Moreover, in patent document 2, all the content received once is registered into DB, and the connection to the content after the next time is ensured. However, in the image forming apparatus proposed in Patent Document 2, it takes time to prepare a DB, and if all contents are held in the DB, unnecessary contents are accumulated. For this reason, Patent Documents 1 and 2 have a problem that it is difficult to efficiently output content stored on the network.
In view of the above-described problems, an object of the present invention is to enable efficient output of content stored on various networks.

Output instruction apparatus of the present invention is an output instruction unit for providing an output structured document including the location information of the content to be output to the output device, verify has access to the content to be output candidate said output device said output apparatus said a signal unit transmission that sends including check list to the output device location information of the content, the access to the content of the location information provided in the confirmation list sent to the output device for saving and receiving unit that will receive information indicating whether having from said output device, if the output device does not have access to the content of the location information, to the content storage unit obtains the content saving and storage means for, when no permission of the output device to the content of the location information, the storage means in the content storage unit Content is characterized in that the output structured document including location information indicating that it is stored in the content storage unit and a providing means for providing to the output apparatus.

  According to the present invention, content stored on various networks can be efficiently output to an output device.

It is a block diagram which shows embodiment of this invention and shows the structural example of a content output system. It is a block diagram which shows embodiment and shows the structural example of an output instruction | indication apparatus. It is a figure which shows embodiment and shows the specific example of a prior connection state confirmation list. It is a flowchart which shows embodiment and shows the operation | movement of a connection determination process. It is a figure which shows the specific example of the output structured document in embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows the message between an output instruction | indication apparatus, an output device, and a content server.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, descriptions of specific processing examples are also shown, but the present invention is not limited to these specific processing examples.
(First embodiment)
<System configuration diagram>
Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a content output system according to the present embodiment.
The network 10 is a wired LAN (Local Area Network) or a wireless LAN (Wireless LAN) as a home network in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, a wired LAN or a wireless LAN is used as a home network. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and is not limited to this. (Ultra Wide Band), etc.

The output instruction device 20 is an output instruction device in the content output system of the present embodiment. The output instruction device 20 has the following functions. A function of creating and transmitting a pre-connection state confirmation list to be provided to the output device 30. A function of receiving a connection state from the output device 30. A function of creating an output structured document according to the connection state received from the output device 30. A function of transmitting the created output structured document to the output device 30. A function of acquiring content information and content from the content server 40 and the content server 50. A function for requesting the output device 30 to output content. In the present embodiment, the output instruction unit 20 is DLNA (registered trademark: Digital Living Network Al l iance) having at + PR2 + (Printing Controller-2 ).

  Specific examples of the output instruction device 20 include a camera device, a video camera device, a smartphone device, and a PC device. In the present embodiment, an apparatus having + PR2 + in DLNA is cited as the output instruction apparatus 20, but a function of creating and transmitting similar output structured document data, a function of acquiring content information, and a function of requesting content output , And combinations thereof.

  The output device 30 is a content output device in the home network in the present embodiment, and has a content output function and a communication function. Specific examples of the output device 30 are a printer, a FAX, a television, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a PC, a notebook PC, and the like. In the present embodiment, the output device 30 has a function as a DMPr in DLNA. In particular, the output device 30 has a PrintEnhanced Service in UPnP. In the present embodiment, an apparatus having a DMPr function in DLNA is described as the output apparatus 30. However, other functions that acquire and output content in the home network can also be implemented.

  The content server 40 is a content server in the home network in the present embodiment. The content server 40 provides content information in response to a content information acquisition request from the output device 30 on the network 10. In the present embodiment, the content server 40 has a function as a DMS in DLNA. In particular, the content server 40 has a CDS (Content Directory Service) in the DMS.

  Specific examples of the content server 40 include a home server device, a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device, a camera device, a video camera device, a smartphone device, and a PC device. In the present embodiment, an apparatus having a DMS function in DLNA is described as the content server 40, but the present invention can also be implemented by a function that provides content and content information in a similar home network, and a combination thereof.

  The content server 50 is a content server on the network 60 in the present embodiment. The content server 50 provides content information in response to a content information acquisition request from the output device 30 on the network 10. In the present embodiment, the content server 50 is a content sharing service on the Internet. Specific examples of the content server 50 include Picasa (registered trademark), flickr (registered trademark), Facebook (registered trademark), and the like.

  In the present embodiment, the content sharing service on the Internet is cited as the content server 50. However, the present invention can also be implemented by a function that provides similar content and content information, and a function that exists on the network 60 having a combination thereof. It is. In the present embodiment, the two content servers 40 and 50 are described, but the number is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more.

  The network 60 is an external network connected to the network 10. The network 60 is connected to the network 10 via a communication device such as a router, and the output device 30 can be connected to the content server 40 through the network 10 and the network 60.

  In the present embodiment, the network 60 is the Internet. Specific examples of the network 60 include the Internet, NGN (Next Generation Network), an in-house network, and other home networks. In the present embodiment, the Internet is used as the network 60, but a similar network function can be used.

<Configuration of output instruction device>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a module configuration example of the output instruction apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment.
The network communication control unit 201 performs communication control for connecting to the network 10. The pre-connection state confirmation list transmission unit 202 transmits the pre-connection state confirmation list to the output device 30 through the network 10 using the network communication control unit 201.

  The connection state receiving unit 203 receives the connection state from the output device 30 through the network 10 using the network communication control unit 201. In this embodiment, the connection status uses a status code when connected to the URL of the content. Then, the output device 30 provides the output instruction device 20 with information associating the content and its connection state as content connection state information. In the present embodiment, the connection status uses the status code when connected to the URL of the content, but it is also possible to use information meaning the connection status to the equivalent content, and the present invention is not limited to this.

The output structured document transmission unit 204 uses the network communication control unit 201 to transmit the output structured document data to the output device 30 through the network 10.
The content transmission / reception unit 205 receives content from the content server 40 or the content server 50 through the network 10 and the network 60 using the network communication control unit 201. Further, the content is transmitted to the output device 30 through the network 10.
The control unit 206 performs overall control of the output instruction device 20. The control unit 206 manages and controls each module of the pre-connection state confirmation list transmission unit 202 to the content storage unit 210.

  The pre-connection state confirmation list creation unit 207 creates a list of location information of output candidate contents. As the location information of the content of the output candidate, information stored in advance as information in the output instruction apparatus may be used, or may be acquired separately from other networks. Further, the output instruction device 20 may make an inquiry to the content server 40 or the content server 50. When making an inquiry, the Browse action or Search action of the Content Directory Service in UPnP may be used, or other communication protocols may be used.

  The output structured document creation unit 208 creates an output structured document including the output content candidate list provided from the connection state determination unit 209, the content layout to be output according to the user's instruction, and the content location information. The output structured document is XHTML in the present embodiment, but a document in which similar information is described is also possible, and is not limited to XHTML.

  The connection state determination unit 209 analyzes the connection state received from the output device 30. When the analyzed connection state indicates that there is no access right, the content is received from the content server 40 or the content server 50, and the content storage unit 210 stores the content. Further, the location information of the output content provided to the output structured document creation unit 208 is rewritten with the location information in the output instruction device. If the analyzed connection state is a connection failure for other reasons, the corresponding output content information is deleted from the output content candidate list provided to the output structured document creation unit 208.

  The content storage unit 210 stores the content received from the content server 40 or the content server 50 in the output instruction device 20 and publishes it to the output device 30. In the present embodiment, the storage destination of the content is in the output instruction device 20, but may be stored in a storage device on a network that can be connected from another output device 30.

<Pre-connection status check list>
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of a pre-connection state confirmation list created by the output instruction device 20 and transmitted to the output device 30. In this embodiment, as a specific example of the pre-connection state confirmation list, as shown in FIG. 3, the pre-connection state confirmation list 300 of this embodiment lists a list of content URLs (Uniform Resource Locators). . Two from the top are content servers in the local network, the next two are content servers provided by Web services on the Internet, and the last two are URLs of content existing in content servers in the remote network.

  In the present embodiment, the IP addresses of the two content servers on the local network are 192.168.0.11 and 192.168.0.12, respectively. In the present embodiment, a list of content URLs is given as an example of the pre-connection state confirmation list 300. However, information indicating the location of equivalent content, link information to the information, and the like may be used.

  In this embodiment, the URL of the content server in the local network is also described in the pre-connection state confirmation list 300. However, the URL of the content on the same local network as the output device can be excluded from the pre-connection state confirmation list 300 under the assumption that the output device 30 can be connected. Thereby, the number of contents with which the output device 30 confirms the connection state can be efficiently reduced.

  When the output device 30 receives the pre-connection state confirmation list 300 from the output instruction device 20, the output device 30 connects to each URL and notifies the output instruction device 20 of the connection state. In the present embodiment, the output device 30 makes an HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) HEAD (one of HTTP methods) request to the URL of the content. Then, the content of the status code of the response to this request is treated as a connection state. In the present embodiment, the contents of the status code are treated as a connection state, but information indicating the connection state for equivalent content can be used, and the connection state is not limited to this.

  The output device 30 returns information associating the connection state of each content and each content to the output instruction device 20 as content connection state information. For example, information in which a content URL and a status code when connected to the URL are arranged may be returned. In addition, in order to reduce the amount of information to be returned, the content information whose connection state is successful connection may be deleted from the response.

  When the output device 30 confirms the pre-connection state, the content whose connection state is connection success may be temporarily stored. As a result, the output device 30 can acquire content from the output instruction device 20 before receiving the output instruction, and the output time can be shortened. However, the content acquired in advance is the content of the output candidate until it gets tired, and there is a possibility that the actual output is not performed by the output instruction from the output instruction device 20 thereafter.

  Therefore, when no output is made, it is preferable to delete after a predetermined time has elapsed. Thereby, it is possible to prevent content that has not been output from being stored in the output device 30. In the present embodiment, the specific time is set to 30 minutes, but is not limited to this. Further, the temporarily held content may be deleted when the corresponding content is output.

<Connection status determination process>
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the contents of the connection status determination process performed by the output instruction device 20 based on the content connection status information received from the output device 30.
S400 indicates the start of the connection state determination process.
In S401, the connection state is determined. In this determination process, the output instruction device 20 analyzes the content connection state information received from the output device 30. If the connection state of the content means successful connection, the process proceeds to S403. If it means no access right, the process proceeds to S404. If it indicates a failure other than no access right, the process proceeds to S402. In the present embodiment, as described above, an HTTP status code is used as the connection state. The status code indicating successful connection is 200, and the status code indicating no access right is 401.

  In the process of S402, since it is determined that the content cannot be acquired from the output device 30, the output instruction device 20 deletes the corresponding content from the subsequent output candidates. As a result, the output instruction device 20 will not instruct the output device 30 to output the content that the output device 30 determines cannot be acquired in the pre-connection state confirmation. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a case where output fails.

  In the process of S403, since it is determined that the content can be acquired from the output device 30, the output instruction device 20 leaves the corresponding content as a subsequent output candidate. That is, nothing is done in this process. It should be noted that this process is not executed when the output device 30 does not describe content information whose connection status is successful in the content connection status information.

  In the process of S404, since it is determined that the acquisition of the content from the output device 30 is not possible because there is no access right, the authenticated output instruction device 20 acquires the corresponding content on behalf of the content, and the content storage unit Save to 210. Further, the content location information is changed to the content storage location. Then, it is disclosed to the output device 30. This published URL is rewritten as a new URL of the corresponding content, and is set as a subsequent output candidate. The rewritten URL indicates a location where the corresponding content in the content storage unit 210 is stored.

  At this time, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the output instruction device 20 has been authenticated for the corresponding content. However, if the output instruction device 20 is not authenticated, the output instruction device 20 confirms the connection state of the corresponding content at this time, The above-described processing may be performed only when authentication is successful. If authentication fails at this time, the process may proceed to S402.

  In the present embodiment, in the pre-connection state confirmation list 300 shown in FIG. 3, it is assumed that the connection state of the output device 30 has no access right and the connection state of the output instruction device 20 is successful for the content of WebServer1. Further, it is assumed that the connection state of the output device 30 with respect to the content of RemoteServer2 is a connection failure other than the absence of access right.

<Output structured document>
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of an output structured document that the output device 30 receives from the output instruction device 20. In the present embodiment, as a specific example of the output structured document data, an XHTML document for outputting five contents in a thumbnail shape in an A4 size frame is handled. In the present embodiment, an XHTML document is given as a specific example of output structured document data, but other data formats having similar output instruction information may be used.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 500 denotes the entire XHTML document.
Reference numeral 501 denotes output layout information of each output content, and an output range of each content is set at a specified position in the output medium according to this information.
Reference numeral 502 defines the output format of each output content, and the horizontal width and vertical width of the content actually output by this output format, the position within the output range specified by 501 and the rotation amount are determined.

  Reference numeral 503 describes the URL of the content to be actually output and which of the output formats defined in 502 is adopted. In the connection state determination process, the contents of WebServer1 among the output candidates described in the pre-connection state confirmation list 300 are acquired and stored by the output instruction device, and rewritten as the URL in the output instruction device 20. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the IP address of the output instruction device 20 is 192.168.0.10. Also, the content of Remote Server 2 does not appear in 503 because it is excluded from the output candidates in the connection state determination process.

<Sequence diagram>
FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing a message flow of the entire system in the present embodiment. In the following, a flow in which a user actually outputs content will be described using this sequence diagram.

  First, the user activates content output application software on the output instruction device 20. After starting the content output application software, the output instruction device 20 creates the pre-connection state confirmation list 300 by the pre-connection state confirmation list creation unit 207. In M601, the output instruction device 20 transmits the created pre-connection state confirmation list 300 to the output device 30.

  Here, when there are a plurality of output devices 30, which output device is selected as an output target is selected. As a specific method of selection, the target may be switched depending on the output application software to be activated, or the output device may be selected in the output application software. However, the method for selecting the output device is not limited to this.

  In M602 and M603, the output device 30 confirms the connection status to each content using the URL of the content described in the pre-connection status confirmation list 300. At this time, if the connection state is a successful connection, the output device 30 may temporarily hold the content in the output device 30.

In M604, the output device 30 notifies the output instruction device 20 of the connection status confirmed in M602 and M603.
In M605, the output instruction device 20 performs a connection state determination process using the connection state acquired in M604. Here, as described above, the content of the output candidate and its URL are updated according to the connection state, and the content is acquired in M606. That is, when it is determined that acquisition of content from the output device 30 is not possible because there is no access right, the authenticated output instruction device 20 acquires the corresponding content on behalf and stores it in the content storage unit 210. To do.

Here, a list of contents as output candidates is notified to the user through the contents output application software. The user selects the content to be output from the list of contents as output candidates, and determines the layout.
In M607, XHTML is created according to the content and layout information selected by the user.

  In M608, an output instruction is issued. In this embodiment, the output instruction is given by the Create URI Job ("UPNP" is a registered trademark) action of the Upnp Print Enhanced Service, but the present invention is not limited to this. The URL of the XHTML created in M607 is specified in the SourceURI argument of this action.

  The output device 30 that has received the CreateURIJob action connects to the URI specified by the SourceURI, and acquires XHTML. According to the contents of XHTML, the content temporarily stored in the output device 30 is used, or the content is acquired from the content server 40, the content server 50, and the output instruction device 20, and output. Here, the output device 30 may delete the output content from the temporarily held content. Further, among the contents held temporarily, if the output instruction command is not received within a predetermined time, the content that has not been output may be deleted when the predetermined time has elapsed. .

  In the sequence of the present embodiment, before the user selects content, the output instruction device 20 transmits the pre-connection state confirmation list 300 to the output device 30 and confirms the connection state of each content in the list. However, this process may be performed after the user selects content to be output.

  In this case, since the output device only needs to confirm connection of the content selected by the user, the load on the output device can be reduced. On the other hand, if the connection state of the selected content is a failure other than no access right, the selected content cannot be output.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention can also be realized by executing the following processing. That is, software (computer program) that implements the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus via a network or various computer-readable storage media. Then, the computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or apparatus reads out and executes the program.

201 Network communication control unit 202 Pre-connection state confirmation list transmission unit 203 Connection state reception unit 204 Output structured document transmission unit 205 Content transmission / reception unit 206 Control unit 207 Pre-connection state confirmation list creation unit 208 Output structured document creation unit 209 Connection state Determination unit 210 content storage unit

Claims (15)

An output instruction device that provides an output structured document including location information of content to be output to an output device,
Transmitting means for transmitting to the output device a confirmation list including location information of the content for confirming whether the output device has access rights to the content that is an output candidate;
Receiving means for receiving from the output device information indicating whether or not the output device has an access right to the content of the location information described in the confirmation list transmitted to the output device;
If the output device does not have access rights to the content of the location information, storage means for acquiring the content and storing it in a content storage unit;
Output structure including location information indicating that the content stored in the content storage unit by the storage unit is stored in the content storage unit when the output device does not have access rights to the content of the location information An output instruction apparatus comprising: providing means for providing a document to the output apparatus.   The providing means outputs the content when the connection state received by the receiving means fails to access the content of the location information described in the confirmation list for a reason other than the lack of access right. The output instruction device according to claim 1, wherein the output instruction device is deleted from the candidates. The transmission means includes
2. The output instruction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output structured document is transmitted to the output apparatus from which the location information of content existing on the same local network as the output apparatus is excluded from the confirmation list. An output instruction method for providing an output structured document including location information of content to be output to an output device,
A transmitting step of transmitting to the output device a confirmation list including location information of the content for confirming whether the output device has an access right to the content that is an output candidate;
A receiving step for receiving from the output device information indicating whether the output device has an access right to the content of the location information described in the confirmation list transmitted to the output device;
When the output means has no access right to the content of the location information, the storage means acquires the content and stores it in a content storage unit;
If the output device does not have an access right to the content of the location information, the providing means includes location information indicating that the content stored in the content storage unit in the storage step is stored in the content storage unit. An output instruction method comprising: providing an output structured document including the output structured document to the output device. In the transmission step,
5. The output instruction method according to claim 4, wherein the output structured document is transmitted to the output device, with the location information of content existing on the same local network as the output device excluded from the confirmation list. A confirmation list receiving step in which the output device receives a confirmation list including the location information of the content to be output;
A connection step in which the output device connects to the content of location information described in the confirmation list received in the confirmation list reception step;
A storage step of temporarily storing the content when the output device is successfully connected in the connection step;
A command receiving step in which the output device receives an output instruction command including location information of content to be output;
An output step in which the output device outputs the content of the location information included in the output instruction command received in the command receiving step using the content stored in the storage step;
An output method, comprising: a deletion step in which the output device deletes the temporarily stored content.   7. The output method according to claim 6, wherein the deleting step deletes the temporarily stored content when an output instruction command is not received within a predetermined time in the command receiving step. .   The output method according to claim 6, wherein the deleting step deletes the content output in the output step from the temporarily held content. A program for causing a computer to execute an output instruction procedure for providing an output device with an output structured document including location information of content to be output,
A transmission procedure for transmitting, to the output device, a confirmation list including location information of the content for confirming whether the output device has an access right to content that is an output candidate;
A reception procedure for receiving, from the output device, information indicating whether the output device has an access right to the content of the location information described in the confirmation list transmitted to the output device;
A storage procedure for acquiring the content and storing it in a content storage unit when the output device does not have access rights to the content of the location information;
Output structure including location information indicating that the content stored in the content storage unit in the storage procedure is stored in the content storage unit when the output device does not have access right to the content of the location information A program for causing a computer to execute a providing procedure for providing a document to the output device. In the transmission procedure,
The program according to claim 9, wherein the output structured document in which location information of content existing on the same local network as the output device is excluded from the confirmation list is transmitted to the output device. A confirmation list receiving procedure for receiving a confirmation list including location information of content to be output candidates;
A connection procedure for connecting to the content of the location information described in the confirmation list received in the confirmation list reception procedure;
A storage procedure for temporarily storing the content when connection is successful in the connection procedure;
A command receiving procedure for receiving an output instruction command including location information of content to be output;
An output procedure for outputting the content of the location information included in the output instruction command received in the command reception procedure using the content stored in the storage procedure;
A program for causing a computer to execute a deletion procedure for deleting the temporarily stored content. An output device that outputs content of location information included in a received output instruction command,
A receiving means for receiving a confirmation list including location information of contents to be output candidates;
Confirmation means for confirming whether the location information described in the confirmation list received by the receiving means is successfully connected to the content;
When the confirmation means confirms the connection success, the content is temporarily saved, and when the receiving means does not receive an output instruction command within a predetermined time, the temporarily saved content is An output device comprising: deletion means for deleting. An output device that outputs content of location information included in a received output instruction command,
A receiving means for receiving a confirmation list including location information of contents to be output candidates;
Confirmation means for confirming whether the location information described in the confirmation list received by the receiving means is successfully connected to the content;
A deletion unit that temporarily stores the content and deletes the temporarily stored content when the confirmation unit confirms a successful connection;
An output device comprising: output means for outputting the content of location information included in the received output instruction command using the content temporarily stored when the confirmation means confirms the connection success . The output device according to claim 12 or 13 , wherein the deletion unit deletes an output content among the temporarily held content. A content output system comprising the output instruction device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and the output device according to any one of claims 12 to 14.

Images