The present invention relates to methods for a media rendering recording device in a local network, and for a media controlling device in a local network, of recording broadcasted/multicasted media content. The invention also relates to a media rendering recording device and to a media controlling device.
A local network, e.g. a home network or an office network, may comprise several connected consumer electronic devices, e.g. personal computers, mobile phones, set-top-boxes and gaming consoles. Electronic devices within a local network may be adapted to communicate with each other e.g. according to DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) standard, which allows consumer electronic devices to communicate and share media content with each other within the same DLNA network. Thereby, a TV could access e.g. media files residing on a PC, without any complicated configuration process, if the TV and the PC belong to the same DLNA home network.
A DLNA-compatible device is able to communicate with other DLNA-compatible devices within a DLNA network via a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), which is a network-protocol that is capable of establishing communication between DLNA-compatible devices within a DLNA network, without any configuration. By means of the UPnP, a DLNA device is able to e.g. discover and address other available DLNA devices within a DLNA network, and receive a description of their capabilities.
The DLNA-compatible devices within a DLNA network are typically of different types, based on their function in the media distribution and rendering, the types comprising a DMS (Digital Media Storage/Server), a DMP (Digital Media Player), a DMR (Digital Media Renderer), and a DMC (Digital Media Controller).
Further, a media aggregating node of an external network, e.g. a so-called Media Fabric, could be connected to a local network, such as e.g. the above-mentioned DLNA network, via a gateway. The media aggregating node handles media content from media providers of the external network, outside the local network, as well as metadata from media content data servers of the external media providers. The media aggregating node is further responsible e.g. for authenticating a user, and for processing requests and presence messages.
A DMS (Digital Media Storage/Server) of the local network may be e.g. a PC (Personal Computer) or a NAS (Network Attached Storage), which is able to store local media content and make it available to a DMP (Digital Media Player) or to a DMR (Digital Media Renderer) of the local network.
As indicated above, the DMC (Digital Media Controller) is able to browse a DMS, and play-out selected media content on a DMR, by sending a link to the media file to the DMR, wherein the DMR will connect to the link and start playing the media content. Thus, a DMR is a device that is able to play-out content received as a link from a DMC, and a DMR may be a TV, an audio/video receiver, a video display or remote speakers, and a DMC may be e.g. a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) or a mobile phone. Further, a DMP may be e.g. a TV, a stereo, a game console, or a mobile phone, and is also able to browse a DMS in order to display a media playlist, and provide playback and rendering capabilities of user-selected media content.
Thus, in a conventional local network, e.g. a DLNA network, a media controlling device, e.g. a DMC, is able to obtain a list of available media content from a DMS, and send a specific URL included in the playlist to a media rendering device, e.g. a DMR, wherein the media rendering device is able to connect to the specified URL and play the media. Further, a media playing device, e.g. a DMP, is also able to obtain a media playlist from a DMS, and play the media content of a link included in the playlist. However, presently it is not possible to record broadcasted media content within a local network, using conventional local-network devices, e.g. DLNA devices within a DLNA network.
It is an object of the present invention to address at least some of the issues outlined above, and this object and others are achieved by the method and the arrangement according to the appended independent claims, and by the embodiments according to the dependent claims.
According to a first aspect, a method is provided for a media rendering recording device in a local network of recording broadcasted/multicasted media content. The recording is initiated by a media controlling device of the local network, and the media rendering recording device is connected to a media aggregating node outside the local network. The method comprises the media rendering recording device requesting the media aggregating node to retrieve a playlist of available broadcasted/multicasted media content, and receiving the playlist. Then, the media rendering recording device forwards the playlist as a recording playlist to a browsing media controlling device, the list comprising associations to the media, receives a play-command from the media controlling node, the command comprising an association indicating a recording of user-selected media, and retrieves and records a user-selected media stream.
According to a second aspect, a method is provided for a media controlling device of a local network of initiating a recording of broadcasted/multicasted media on a media rendering recording device of the local network. The media rendering recording device is connected to a media aggregating node outside the local network. The method comprises the media controlling device browsing the media rendering recording device in order to receive and display a recording playlist obtained from the media aggregating node. The playlist comprises available live broadcasted/multicasted media, with associations to the media. The method further comprises the media controlling device receiving a play-input indicating a user-selected media from the recording playlist, and sending a play-command comprising an association indicating a recording of the user-selected media to the media rendering recording device.
According to a third aspect, a media rendering recording device is provided that is connectable to a local network and to a media aggregating node outside the local network. The media rendering recording device is arranged to record broadcasted/multicasted media content, the recording being initiated by a media controlling device of the local network. The media rendering recording device comprises a communication unit and processing circuits, and is configured to request the media aggregating node to retrieve a media playlist. It is further configured to receive the playlist, and forward the playlist as a recording playlist to a browsing media controlling device, the playlist comprising associations to the media. Further, the media rendering recording device is configured to thereafter receive a play-command from the media controlling node, the command comprising an association indicating a recording of user-selected media, and to retrieve and record the media.
According to a fourth aspect, a media controlling device is provided that is connectable to a local network and arranged to initiate a recording of broadcasted/multicasted media on a media rendering recording device of the local network. The media rendering recording device is further connected to a media aggregating node outside the local network. The media controlling device is provided with processing circuits, and comprises a browser for browsing the media rendering recording device in order to receive a list of broadcasted/multicasted media available for recording, a display for displaying a recording playlist, the playlist comprising associations to the media, a user input unit for receiving a play-input indicating a user-selected media from a recording playlist, and a communication unit for sending a play-command to the media rendering recording device, the command comprising an association indicating a recording of a user-selected media.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the local network is a DLNA-network, and the devices of the DLNA-network are communicating by the UPnP.
An advantage with the embodiments is to enable a recording of user-selected live broadcasted media within a local network. An advantage with the embodiments in which the local network is a DLNA network is that a conventional DLNA/UPnP-communication can be used between the devices.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
a is a flow diagram schematically illustrating a media controlling device initiating a recording of broadcasted media content;
b is a flow diagram schematically illustrating a media controlling device initiating a play-out of recorded media;
a-c schematically illustrate exemplary media rendering recording devices; and
In the following description, the invention will be described in more detail with reference to certain embodiments and to accompanying drawings. For purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth, such as particular scenarios, techniques, etc., in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it is apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practised in other embodiments that depart from these specific details.
Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the functions and means explained herein below may be implemented using software functioning in conjunction with a programmed microprocessor or general purpose computer, and/or using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). It will also be appreciated that while the current invention is primarily described in the form of methods and devices, the invention may also be embodied in a computer program product as well as in a system comprising a computer processor and a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory is encoded with one or more programs that may perform the functions disclosed herein.
In the following, the term local network may indicate e.g. a DLNA-network, but the embodiments are not limited thereto. The term external network indicates a network outside the local network, e.g. the Internet, but the embodiments are not limited thereto.
A concept of the embodiments described hereinafter provides a media rendering recording device for a local network, e.g. for a DLNA network, that is capable of recording live broadcasted or multicasted media content, the recording initiated by a media controlling device, e.g. a DMC for a DLNA network.
Another type of device, that is not a standardized DLNA device, is hereinafter denoted an rDMS (remote Digital Media Storage/Server), which basically corresponds to a remotely (or externally) connectable DMS. An rDMS is a device that is connectable to an external network, and the rDMS may be comprised in a gateway of the local network, or connected to the gateway. The rDMS is able to make external media content available to a DMP or a DMC of the local network by fetching a playlist of available external media from the media aggregating node, and forward to a browsing DMP or DMC, with an association, e.g. a link, to the media.
Thus, according to exemplary embodiments of initiating a recording live broadcasted media content, a media controlling device 3 of a local network 7, e.g. a DMC in a DLNA network, as illustrated in
According to further embodiments, a media controlling device initiates a play-out of recorded broadcasted media content on the media rendering recording device of the local network.
Thus, in the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the signalling diagrams 2 and 3, the media rendering recording device 2 acts as a conventional DMS towards the browsing DMC 3, enabling the use of conventional DLNA/UPnP-commands.
a is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment for a media controlling device of a local network, e.g. a DMC of a DLNA-network, of initiating a recording of live broadcasted media on a media rendering recording device of the local network. In step 61, the DMC browses the media rendering recording device, in order to receive a recording playlist of available broadcasted media, the playlist comprising associations to the media. In step 62, the DMC receives a play-input from a user indicating a selected media to record, and forwards a play-command comprising an association indication a recording of user-selected broadcasted media to the media rendering recording device, in step 63.
b is a flow diagram illustrating further exemplary steps of initiating a playing-out of recorded media, after receiving and displaying a confirmation of the recording from the media rendering recording device, in step 64. Eventually, when the DMC-user wishes to watch recorded media, the DMC browses the media rendering recorder in order to receive and display a recorded-media list comprising associations to the media, e.g. links pointing to the media rendering recording device, in step 65. Next, the DMC receives a play-input from the user indication a selected media to play-out, in step 66, and forwards a play-command comprising an association indicating a play-out of the user-selected media to the media rendering recording device, in step 67.
a schematically illustrates a media rendering recording device 2 that is connectable to a local network, e.g. to a DLNA-network, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The media rendering recording device is provided with a suitable communication unit 71 comprising transmitters and receivers, in order to communicate with the other devices of the local network, as well as with the gateway of the local network, and processing circuits 72 for controlling e.g. the communication. The media rendering recorder also comprises a storage unit 73 for recorded media.
By means of the communication unit 71 and the processing unit 72, and by other appropriate hardware, and the software of the processing units, the media rendering recorder is configured to request the media aggregating node to retrieve a media playlist, to receive the requested playlist, and to forward the playlist as a recording playlist to a browsing media controlling device, the list comprising associations to the media. Further, the media rendering recorder is configured to receive a play-command comprising an association indicating a recording of user-selected broadcasted media from the media controlling device, and to retrieve and record the media, typically from a streaming server. The recording is performed at the time of the live broadcasting of the media, which may take place immediately after receiving the command, or after a time interval, which may be e.g. a few hours or few days.
According to a further exemplary embodiment, the media rendering recorder is also configured to send a confirmation of the recording to the browsing media controlling device. It may also be configured to send a recorded-media list to a browsing media controlling device, the list comprising associations to the media, e.g. links pointing to the recorded media, and further to receive a play-command comprising an association indicating a play-out of a user-selected recorded media from the media controlling device, and to play-out the selected media.
As stated above, in an embodiment when the local network is a DLNA network, the media rendering recording device will act as a conventional DMS and DMR towards other DLNA-devices, e.g. towards a browsing DMC. Thereby, a conventional DLNA/UPnP-communication may be used, requiring no additional commands between the devices.
According to an exemplary embodiment, a DLNA-compliant media rendering recording device comprises functionality corresponding to a combined DMR (Digital Media Renderer) and an rDMS, (remote Digital Media Server/Storage), i.e. a remotely (externally) connectable DMS, as illustrated in
According to a further exemplary embodiment, the media rendering recording device is comprised in a gateway of the DLNA network, as illustrated in
However, according to another exemplary embodiment, the media rendering recording device is not included in a gateway, but is connectable to the gateway.
The DMC is also provided with suitable processing circuits 85 arranged to control the hardware of the DMC for recording user-selected broadcasted or multicasted media on a media rendering recording device of the local network. Thus, by means of appropriate hardware, and the software stored in the processing circuits, the DMC is configured to browse the media rendering recording device for receiving a playlist of available broadcasted media, to receive a play-input indicating a user-selected media, and to forward a play-command comprising an association indicating a recording of the media to the media rendering recording device.
According to a further exemplary embodiment, the media controlling device (e.g. a DMC) is configured to receive and display a confirmation of recorded media, the confirmation received from the media rendering recording device. Further, the media controlling device may be configured to initiate a play-out of recorded media, by browsing the media rendering recording in order to receive and display a recorded-media list, receiving a play-input of user-selected media, and forwarding as a play-command to the media rendering recording device, the command comprising an association indicating a play-out of the media. A DMC may be implemented e.g. as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) or a mobile phone.
It should be noted that the media rendering recording device, as illustrated in the
Further, the above mentioned and described embodiments are only given as examples and should not be limiting to the present invention. Other solutions, uses, objectives, and functions within the scope of the invention as claimed in the accompanying patent claims should be apparent for the person skilled in the art.
rDMS Remote-Media Storage/Server
MA Media aggregating node
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2010/068486 | 11/30/2010 | WO | 00 | 5/29/2013 |