Information processing apparatus and information processing method

Abstract

To enable simple and reliable screen sharing.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus includes a processing unit that generates, on the basis of a message transmitted from a sharing source device that performs screen sharing, identification information that identifies the information processing apparatus serving as a sharing candidate device as a candidate for screen sharing, provides the sharing source device with device information regarding the information processing apparatus, and outputs the generated identification information so that content to be shared and an image to be displayed on the image processing apparatus are displayed with the name of the information processing apparatus on a selection screen of the sharing source device, based on the device information. The present technology can be applied to a device that performs screen sharing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present technology relates to an information processing device and an information processing method, and more particularly to an information processing device and an information processing method that enable screen sharing to be performed simply and reliably. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, devices on which content can be viewed have become more diverse, and users have a variety of methods for viewing content.

[0003] For example, there is a method for viewing content by sharing a screen between devices. Known techniques for this type of screen sharing include the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-71637 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When sharing a screen between devices, it is required to share the screen easily and reliably.

[0006] The present technology has been developed in light of these circumstances, and makes it possible to share screens easily and reliably. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An information processing device according to one aspect of the present technology is an information processing device that generates, based on a message sent from a sharing source device that performs screen sharing, identification information that identifies the device itself as a candidate sharing device that is a candidate for screen sharing, provides device information about the device itself to the sharing source device, and, based on the device information, displays the name of the device itself, as well as the content to be shared and an image to be displayed on the device itself, on a selection screen of the sharing source device, and includes a processing unit that outputs the generated identification information.

[0008] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present technology is an information processing method in which an information processing device generates identification information for identifying its own device as a candidate screen sharing device based on a message sent from a screen sharing source device, provides device information about its own device to the screen sharing source device, and displays the name of its own device, the content to be shared, and an image to be displayed on its own device, on a selection screen of the screen sharing source device based on the device information, and outputs the generated identification information.

[0009] In an information processing device and information processing method according to one aspect of the present technology, identification information is generated to identify the device itself as a candidate screen sharing device based on a message sent from a screen sharing source device, and device information about the device itself is provided to the screen sharing source device. Based on the device information, the name of the device itself is displayed on a selection screen of the screen sharing source device, along with the content to be shared and an image to be displayed on the device itself, and the generated identification information is output.

[0010] An information processing device according to one aspect of the present technology is an information processing device that includes a processing unit that sends a message to search for candidate sharing devices that are candidates for screen sharing, acquires device information about the candidate sharing devices from the candidate sharing devices, and displays, on a selection screen based on the acquired device information, the content to be shared and an image to be displayed on the candidate sharing devices, along with the names of the candidate sharing devices.

[0011] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present technology is an information processing method in which an information processing device transmits a message to search for candidate sharing devices that are candidates for screen sharing, acquires device information about the candidate sharing devices from the candidate sharing devices, and displays, on a selection screen based on the acquired device information, the content to be shared and an image to be displayed on the candidate sharing devices, along with the names of the candidate sharing devices.

[0012] In an information processing device and information processing method according to one aspect of the present technology, a message is sent to search for candidate sharing devices that are candidates for screen sharing, device information about the candidate sharing devices is acquired from the candidate sharing devices, and based on the acquired device information, the content to be shared and an image to be displayed on the candidate sharing devices are displayed on a selection screen together with the names of the candidate sharing devices.

[0013] Note that the information processing device according to one aspect of the present technology may be an independent device or an internal block constituting a single device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a current screen sharing method. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a current screen sharing method. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an embodiment of an information processing system to which the present technology is applied. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an embodiment of an information processing device to which the present technology is applied. [Figure 5] 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a processing unit in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an embodiment of an information processing device to which the present technology is applied. [Figure 7] 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a processing unit in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a first example of a screen sharing method. [Figure 9]10 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of a first example of a screen sharing method. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a device description. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a description of an address of an image file. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a second example of a screen sharing method. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of a second example of the screen sharing method. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a third example of a screen sharing method. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of a third example of the screen sharing method. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a description of a random number. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a fourth example of a screen sharing method. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of a fourth example of the screen sharing method. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a description of a value of a two-dimensional code. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a fifth example of a screen sharing method. [Figure 21] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of a fifth example of the screen sharing method. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a description of an address of a sound wave pattern file. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a sixth example of a screen sharing method. [Figure 24] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of a sixth example of the screen sharing method. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a description of an address of a light emission pattern file. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a seventh example of a screen sharing method. [Figure 27] 13 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of a seventh example of the screen sharing method. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a description of an address of a fingerprint file. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a device description when multiple screen sharing methods are provided. [Figure 30] 13 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of an eighth example of the screen sharing method. [Figure 31] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an overall configuration of an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 32] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating another example of the overall configuration of an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 33] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating another example of the overall configuration of an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 34] 1 is a block diagram showing a first example of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 35] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a second example of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 36] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a third example of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 37] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a fourth example of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 38] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a fifth example of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 39] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a client-server system as a more specific example of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 40] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present technology will be described with reference to the drawings. The description will be made in the following order.

[0016] 1. Embodiments of the present technology 2. Variations

[0017] <1. Embodiments of the present technology>

[0018] (Current screen sharing method) As a method for displaying content such as moving images and still images by sharing a screen between a device and another device, there are methods such as those shown in FIGS.

[0019] 1 illustrates a case where an information device 10 such as a smartphone shares a screen with one of display devices 20-1 to 20-3 such as television sets. That is, an operation is performed to display content such as a video displayed on the screen of information device 10 held by a user as a source on one of display devices 20-1 to 20-3 that are candidates for screen sharing.

[0020] In FIG. 1, an information device 10 and display devices 20-1 to 20-3 are devices compatible with UPnP (Universal Plug and Play), and are connected via a home network such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network).

[0021] When sharing a screen of a video or the like on the information device 10, a list of friendly names (FriendlyNames) indicating each display device 20 ("TV xyz", "TV abc", "TV qrp") is displayed as a selection screen A11 based on the device descriptions obtained from the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 (Figure 2).

[0022] As a result, the user can check the friendly names on the selection screen A11 displayed on the information device 10, but cannot identify which display device 20 each friendly name corresponds to, making it difficult to distinguish between the display devices 20.

[0023] Therefore, when the user selects a friendly name from the list on the selection screen A11 of the information device 10, there is a possibility that screen sharing will be performed with, for example, the display device 20-1 or the display device 20-2 other than the desired display device 20-3.

[0024] Furthermore, the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses that a device can receive the status of another device that shares a display screen from the other device (described in paragraph 0006). However, when there are multiple other devices, it is difficult to identify which device is which based on the device status alone. Therefore, depending on the user's operation, there is a risk that the screen will be shared with an unintended device.

[0025] Therefore, the present technology proposes a screen sharing method (hereinafter also referred to as a new method) that enables easy and reliable screen sharing with a desired display device 20 when content such as a video that can be displayed on an information device 10 is to be displayed on one of multiple display devices 20 that are candidates for screen sharing. The new method will be described in detail below with reference to Figs. 3 to 30.

[0026] 1 and other figures, if it is assumed that the information device 10 and the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 are devices that comply with the DLNA (registered trademark) (Digital Living Network Alliance) standard, it can also be said that the information device 10 operates as a DMC (Digital Media Controller) device, and the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 operate as DMR (Digital Media Renderer) devices. DLNA is based on UPnP.

[0027] (System configuration) FIG. 3 shows an example of the configuration of a content playback system 1 as an embodiment of an information processing system to which the present technology is applied.

[0028] 3, information device 10, display devices 20-1 to 20-N (N: an integer equal to or greater than 2), and router 30 are interconnected via network 80. Network 80 includes a home network such as a wireless LAN established in a predetermined space such as a user's home or a company conference room.

[0029] The information device 10 is a device having a predetermined user interface (UI), such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a remote controller, a wearable device, a portable music player, a game console, or a personal computer.

[0030] The information device 10 performs various operations in response to user operations on a predetermined user interface. For example, the information device 10 can share a screen with any of the display devices 20-1 to 20-N via the network 80 in response to a user operation.

[0031] The display device 20-1 is a device having a predetermined display function, such as a television receiver, a display device, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, a projector, etc. The display device 20-1 may also be a home appliance having a display, such as a refrigerator, or an audio device having a display, such as a smart speaker (smart display).

[0032] The display device 20-1 can share a screen with the information device 10 via the network 80.

[0033] Like the display device 20-1, the display devices 20-2 to 20-N are each configured as a device such as a television receiver. Each of the display devices 20-2 to 20-N is capable of screen sharing with the information device 10.

[0034] In the following description, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between the display devices 20-1 to 20-N, they will be simply referred to as the display device 20. In the following description, the display device 20 will be exemplified as a television receiver.

[0035] 3, router 30 can be connected to network 90. ​​Network 90 includes a communication network such as the Internet, an intranet, or a mobile phone network. Router 30 connects network 80 and network 90, and relays data exchanged between the networks.

[0036] External servers such as distribution servers 40-1 to 40-M (M: an integer equal to or greater than 1) are connected to network 90.

[0037] Distribution server 40-1 is composed of one or more servers and is installed in a data center or the like. Distribution server 40-1 is provided by a provider of a video distribution service or the like. Distribution server 40-1 distributes communication content such as video via network 90 or the like in response to a request from information device 10 or display device 20.

[0038] Like distribution server 40-1, each of distribution servers 40-2 to 40-M distributes communication content such as moving images in response to a request from information device 10 or display device 20. In the following description, distribution servers 40-1 to 40-M will be simply referred to as distribution server 40 unless there is a need to distinguish them.

[0039] The information device 10 or the display device 20 transmits a request for distribution of communication content to the distribution server 40 via the network 90 or the like. The information device 10 or the display device 20 receives and processes the streaming data transmitted from the distribution server 40 via the network 90 or the like, and outputs the video and audio of the communication content such as a moving image.

[0040] The display device 20 can also receive, via an antenna, broadcast signals transmitted from the transmitter 50 via a radio tower or the like. The display device 20 receives and processes broadcast signals corresponding to a channel selection operation by the user, and outputs video and audio of broadcast content such as a television program.

[0041] (Configuration of information devices) FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration of the information device 10 of FIG. 3 as an embodiment of an information processing device to which the present technology is applied.

[0042] 4, information device 10 includes a processing unit 100, an input unit 101, an output unit 102, a memory 103, a storage unit 104, a communication unit 105, a sensor 106, a camera 107, and a power supply unit 108.

[0043] The processing unit 100 is configured by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), etc. The processing unit 100 is a central processing device (control device) that controls the operation of each unit and performs various types of arithmetic processing.

[0044] The input unit 101 is an input device such as a physical button 111 or a microphone 112. The input unit 101 supplies operation data corresponding to a user operation to the processing unit 100. The processing unit 100 controls the operation of each unit based on the operation data from the input unit 101.

[0045] The output unit 102 is an output device such as a display 121 or a speaker 122. The output unit 102 outputs information corresponding to various data under the control of the processing unit 100.

[0046] The display 121 is a display unit that displays an image corresponding to the image data from the processing unit 100. The display 121 may be configured as a touch panel together with an input unit that supplies operation data corresponding to the contact position (position of a predetermined point) to the processing unit 100 when a user's finger contacts (touches) the surface of the screen.

[0047] The speaker 122 outputs a voice (sound) corresponding to the voice data from the processing unit 100.

[0048] The memory 103 is a semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The memory 103 temporarily stores various data to be processed by the processing unit 100.

[0049] The storage unit 104 is an auxiliary storage device including a semiconductor memory such as a nonvolatile memory. The storage unit 104 may be configured as an internal storage or an external storage such as a memory card. The storage unit 104 stores various data under the control of the processing unit 100.

[0050] The communication unit 105 is a communication device including a communication module that supports wireless communication such as wireless LAN, cellular communication (e.g., LTE-Advanced or 5G), or short-range wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth (registered trademark)), or wired communication. The communication unit 105 communicates with other devices via the network 80 or the like under the control of the processing unit 100.

[0051] Specifically, the communication unit 105 exchanges various types of data with the display device 20 via the network 80 under the control of the processing unit 100 .

[0052] The communication unit 105 also requests the distribution server 40 to distribute communication content such as moving images via the network 80, etc. The communication unit 105 receives streaming data transmitted from the distribution server 40 via the network 90, etc., and supplies the data to the processing unit 100.

[0053] The processing unit 100 performs processing such as decoding on the streaming data from the communication unit 105 , so that the video of communication content such as a moving image is displayed on the display 121 and the audio is output from the speaker 122 .

[0054] The sensor 106 is composed of various sensor devices, etc. The sensor 106 senses the user and the surroundings, and supplies the resulting sensing data to the processing unit 100. The processing unit 100 performs various processes based on the sensing data from the sensor 106.

[0055] Here, the sensor 106 may include an acceleration sensor that measures acceleration, a gyro sensor that measures angle (posture), angular velocity, and angular acceleration, a biosensor that measures information such as the heart rate, body temperature, or posture of a living organism, a magnetic sensor that measures the magnitude and direction of a magnetic field, and a proximity sensor that measures nearby objects.

[0056] The camera 107 is composed of an optical system, an image sensor, a signal processing circuit, etc. The camera 107 captures an image of a subject and supplies the resulting image data to the processing unit 100. The processing unit 100 performs various processes based on the image data from the camera 107.

[0057] The power supply unit 108 is composed of a battery such as a secondary battery and a power supply management circuit, and supplies power to each unit including the processing unit 100 .

[0058] FIG. 5 shows an example of the functional configuration of the processing unit 100 of FIG.

[0059] 5, the processing unit 100 includes a device information acquisition unit 131, an identification information acquisition unit 132, a sharing device determination unit 133, a presentation control unit 134, and a communication control unit 135.

[0060] The device information acquisition unit 131 acquires device information provided by the display device 20 and supplies it to the shared device determination unit 133 .

[0061] The device information is information about candidate screen sharing devices. The device information includes a device description. Here, when the information device 10 is the screen sharing source device, the candidate screen sharing devices are multiple display devices 20 connected to the network 80.

[0062] The identification information acquisition unit 132 acquires the identification information generated by the display device 20 and supplies it to the shared device determination unit 133 .

[0063] The identification information is information that identifies a candidate sharing device. The identification information includes information related to an image, text, code, etc. Furthermore, the device information such as a device description includes information related to the identification information (for example, the address of an image file, etc.).

[0064] The sharing target device determination unit 133 determines, from among the multiple display devices 20, a display device 20 to be the target for screen sharing, based on the device information acquired by the device information acquisition unit 131 and the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 132.

[0065] Here, the display device 20 determined by the share target device determination unit 133 can be said to be a share target device selected as a target for screen sharing from among a plurality of share target devices.

[0066] The details of the process for determining a device to be shared, which is executed by the device to be shared determination unit 133, will be explained in the first to eighth examples of the screen sharing method, which will be described later.

[0067] The presentation control unit 134 controls the output unit 102, such as the display 121 and the speaker 122, to present information according to various data.

[0068] The communication control unit 135 controls the communication unit 105 to perform communication with other devices via the network 80 or the like.

[0069] (Display device configuration) FIG. 6 shows an example of the configuration of the display device 20 of FIG. 3 as an embodiment of an information processing device to which the present technology is applied.

[0070] 6, the display device 20 includes a processing unit 200, a tuner 201, a signal input unit 202, a data processing unit 203, a display 204, a speaker 205, a communication unit 206, an operation reception unit 207, and an output unit 208.

[0071] The processing unit 200 is configured by a processor such as a CPU, etc. The processing unit 200 is a central processing device (control device) that controls the operation of each unit and performs various arithmetic processing, and controls the operation of each unit of the display device 20.

[0072] The tuner 201 performs processing such as demodulation on the broadcast signal received via the antenna, and supplies the resulting data to the data processing unit 203. The broadcast signal here transmits broadcast content in accordance with a broadcasting method such as terrestrial broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, or cable television broadcasting.

[0073] The signal input unit 202 is configured as an interface that complies with a predetermined standard such as HDMI (registered trademark) (High Definition Multimedia Interface) or USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0074] That is, data such as recorded content recorded by a recording device (recording / playback device) or network storage, or recorded content recorded on a recording medium such as a semiconductor memory or optical disc, is input to the signal input unit 202 via an interface that complies with a predetermined standard, and supplied to the data processing unit 203.

[0075] The data processing unit 203 is configured by a system on a chip (SoC), etc. The data processing unit 203 performs processing such as decoding on the data supplied from the tuner 201 or the signal input unit 202, and supplies the resulting video data to a display 204 and audio data to a speaker 205.

[0076] The display 204 is configured with a display unit such as a liquid crystal display unit, an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display unit, etc. The display 204 processes the video data supplied from the data processing unit 203 under the control of the processing unit 200, and displays the video of broadcast content such as a television program, and information such as various screens.

[0077] The speaker 205 processes the audio data supplied from the data processing unit 203 under the control of the processing unit 200, and outputs the audio (sound) of broadcast content such as a television program.

[0078] The communication unit 206 is a communication device including a communication module that supports wireless communication such as a wireless LAN or wired communication. The communication unit 206 communicates with other devices via the network 80 or the like under the control of the processing unit 200.

[0079] Specifically, the communication unit 206 exchanges various data with the information device 10 via the network 80 under the control of the processing unit 200 .

[0080] The communication unit 206 also requests the distribution server 40 to distribute communication content such as moving images via the network 80, etc. The communication unit 206 receives streaming data distributed from the distribution server 40 via the network 90, etc., and supplies the data to the data processing unit 203 via the processing unit 200.

[0081] The data processing unit 203 performs processing such as decoding on the streaming data from the communication unit 206 , so that the video of communication content such as moving images is displayed on the display 204 and the audio is output from the speaker 205 .

[0082] The operation reception unit 207 is configured by, for example, a short-distance wireless communication module, an infrared receiving module, etc. The operation reception unit 207 receives (receives) signals such as wireless signals and infrared signals transmitted from the remote controller 21, and supplies them to the processing unit 200 as operation data.

[0083] The processing unit 200 controls the operation of each unit based on commands corresponding to operation data from the operation reception unit 207. Note that short-range wireless communication can be performed in accordance with standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The information device 10 may also be used as the remote controller 21.

[0084] The output unit 208 is configured by, for example, a device that emits light such as an LED lamp or a power lamp, or a device that outputs sound such as a buzzer or a speaker. The output unit 208 outputs light, sound, etc. under the control of the processing unit 200.

[0085] FIG. 7 shows an example of the functional configuration of the processing unit 200 in FIG.

[0086] 7, the processing unit 200 includes a device information providing unit 231, an identification information generating unit 232, an output control unit 233, and a communication control unit 234.

[0087] The device information providing unit 231 provides device information such as a device description to the information device 10. The device information providing unit 231 also includes information relating to the identification information generated by the identification information generating unit 232 in the device information.

[0088] The identification information generating unit 232 generates identification information (information relating to an image, text, code, or the like) based on the message from the information device 10 and supplies it to the device information providing unit 231 and the output control unit 233.

[0089] The output control unit 233 controls the display 204, the speaker 205, or the output unit 208 to output the identification information (information relating to an image, text, code, or the like) generated by the identification information generation unit 232.

[0090] The details of the device information providing unit 231, the identification information generating unit 232, and the output control unit 233 will be explained in the first to eighth examples of the screen sharing method, which will be described later.

[0091] The communication control unit 234 controls the communication unit 206 to perform communication with other devices via the network 80 or the like.

[0092] The content reproduction system 1 is configured as described above.

[0093] Hereinafter, as screen sharing methods compatible with the new method provided by the content reproduction system 1, first to eighth examples of the screen sharing method will be described in order.

[0094] (First example) FIG. 8 shows a first example of the screen sharing method.

[0095] In a first example of this screen sharing method, when screen sharing is performed, a common image (the same or corresponding image) is displayed on each of the information device 10 and the multiple display devices 20, making the multiple display devices 20 identifiable by the common image, thereby enabling screen sharing.

[0096] That is, in FIG. 8, when a user shares a screen from an information device 10 held in his / her hand to a display device 20 having a larger screen, the list on the selection screen A21 of the information device 10 displays reduced images corresponding to images B21-1 to B21-3 displayed on the screens of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, respectively.

[0097] By comparing the reduced images of the list on the selection screen A21 of the information device 10 with the images B21-1 to B21-3 superimposed on the screens of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, the user can identify the display devices 20 that are candidates for screen sharing and select the display devices 20 that will be the targets of screen sharing.

[0098] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the first example of the screen sharing method.

[0099] 9, each processing step of the information device 10 is executed by a processing unit 100. Also, each processing step of the display device 20 is executed by a processing unit 200.

[0100] When a user operates information device 10 as a sharing source device and performs a search operation for multiple display devices 20 as candidate sharing devices (S111), the information device 10 executes the processing of steps S131 to S136, and each of display devices 20-1 to 20-3 executes the processing of steps S151 to S155.

[0101] That is, information device 10 broadcasts an M-search message to network 80 using UDP (User Datagram Protocol) (S131). Each of display devices 20-1 to 20-3 that has received the M-search message transmits an M-search response to information device 10 via network 80 (S151).

[0102] Here, the M-search message is a message for searching for devices connected to the network, and the M-search response is a response message sent from a device that has received the M-search message.

[0103] The M-search response includes parameters such as "LOCATION," which describes the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for obtaining the device description. The device description includes information about the target device. Details of the M-search message and M-search response are disclosed in the following documents.

[0104] Document: UPnP Device Architecture 2.0 Document Revision Date: February 20, 2015

[0105] Based on the M-search responses received from the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, the information device 10 stores the IP addresses and device description URLs of the respective display devices 20 in the memory 103 (S132).

[0106] The information device 10 acquires the device description of each display device 20 provided by the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 according to the URL (designated URL) of the stored device description (S133, S152).

[0107] FIG. 10 shows an example of a device description.

[0108] The device description includes a deviceType element, a friendlyName element, a manufacturer element, a manufacturerURL element, a modelDescription element, a modelName element, a modelNumber element, a modelURL element, a serialNumber element, a UDN element, a UPC element, and an iconList element.

[0109] The deviceType element describes the type of device. The friendlyName element describes the friendly name, which is text consisting of any character string, etc. The manufacturer element describes the manufacturer. The manufacturerURL element describes the URL of the manufacturer's website.

[0110] The modelDescription element describes the title of the model. The modelName element describes the model name. The modelNumber element describes the model number. The modelURL element describes the URL of the model site. The serialNumber element describes the serial number. The UDN element describes the UUID (Universally Unique Identifier). The UPC element describes the UPC (Universal Product Code).

[0111] The iconList element contains one or more icon elements, each of which consists of a mimetype element, a width element, a height element, a depth element, and a url element. The mimetype element describes the MIME type of the icon. The width element and the height element describe the number of pixels in the horizontal and vertical directions of the icon. The depth element describes the color depth of the icon. The url element describes the URL of the icon.

[0112] For the sake of simplicity, the following description will be given by way of example in which each display device 20 holds its own device description, but the device description may also be held by another device.

[0113] 9, the information device 10 broadcasts a switching message to the network 80 using UDP (S134). The switching message includes a message that says "switch to selection mode."

[0114] Upon receiving this switching message, each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 generates an image file (S153).

[0115] As this image file, for example, an image representing the content such as the mark of a broadcast station or service, a still image thumbnail of the content, a video thumbnail, etc. Note that as this image file, a still image or video file stored in advance in the display device 20, a still image file cut out from a video, a still image file obtained from an external source, etc. may be used.

[0116] The display devices 20-1 to 20-3 store the generated image files at the addresses specified in the url elements of the displaySource elements described in the device descriptions (S154).

[0117] Fig. 11 shows an example of how to write an address for an image file. In Fig. 11, the relative address and file name of the field "relative address value / filename" are written as the url element of the displaySource element of the device description.

[0118] At this time, each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 stores the generated image file in a location specified by a relative address value, with a specified filename.

[0119] If a URLBase element is specified, the relative address specified in the url element of the displaySource element means a relative address from the URL specified in the URLBase element, and if a URLBase element is not specified, it means a relative address from the root (the IP address of the device). The same relationship applies to relative addresses, which will be described later.

[0120] Returning to the explanation of FIG. 9, each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 displays the generated images (images B21-1 to B21-3 in FIG. 8) corresponding to the generated image files in a superimposed manner on the screen of the display 204 (S155).

[0121] Information device 10 acquires the image files stored by each of display devices 20-1 to 20-3 in accordance with the stored specified URL (S135). Information device 10 displays on selection screen A21 (FIG. 8) a friendly name (e.g., the name of the device) corresponding to the friendlyName element of the device description and an acquired image (reduced image of images B21-1 to B21-3 in FIG. 8) corresponding to the acquired image file (S136).

[0122] This allows the user to compare the acquired image displayed on the selection screen A21 of the information device 10 with the generated image superimposed on the screen of each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, thereby identifying each display device 20 and selecting the desired display device 20 as the device to be shared (S112).

[0123] When a device to be shared is determined based on a user operation on the selection screen A21, the information device 10 stores the IP address of the display device 20 as the device to be shared in the memory 103 (S137).

[0124] As a result, a display device 20 (shared target device) that will share its screen with the information device 10 (share source device) is determined from among the multiple display devices 20 (shared candidate devices), and the information device 10 (share source device) exchanges data with the selected display device 20 (shared target device) based on the stored IP address, thereby sharing the screen.

[0125] As described above, in the first example of the screen sharing method, a common image is displayed on the display 121 of the information device 10 and the display 204 of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, so that the user can easily and reliably select the display device 20 that will share the screen with the information device 10 simply by checking the image displayed on the display of each device.

[0126] In the above description, an example was given in which three display devices 20-1 to 20-3 exist as candidate sharing devices, but the number of candidate sharing devices is not limited to three and may be two, four, or more. Furthermore, the candidate sharing devices are not limited to devices of the same type, and may include a mixture of devices of different types. Furthermore, the information device 10 can display the selection screen A21 even when there is only one candidate sharing device, and can implement the screen sharing methods described in the first to eighth examples of the screen sharing method.

[0127] (Second example) FIG. 12 shows a second example of the screen sharing method.

[0128] In a second example of this screen sharing method, when screen sharing is performed, a common friendly name (the same or corresponding text) is displayed on each of the information device 10 and the multiple display devices 20, making the multiple display devices 20 identifiable by the common friendly name, thereby enabling screen sharing.

[0129] 12, when screen sharing is performed from the information device 10 to the display device 20, the list on the selection screen A22 of the information device 10 displays text ("TV xyz", "TV abc", "TV qrp") corresponding to the text B22-1 to B22-3 displayed on the screens of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, respectively. Here, for example, the text of the device name can be written as the friendly name.

[0130] By comparing the text in the list on the selection screen A22 of the information device 10 with the text B22-1 to B22-3 superimposed on the screens of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, the user can identify the display devices 20 that are candidates for screen sharing and select the display device 20 that will be the target for screen sharing.

[0131] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the second example of the screen sharing method.

[0132] 13, each processing step of the information device 10 is executed by a processing unit 100. Also, each processing step of the display device 20 is executed by a processing unit 200.

[0133] When a search operation for the display device 20 (candidate sharing device) is performed (S211), the information device 10 (source sharing device) executes the processes of steps S231 to S235, and the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 each execute the processes of steps S251 to S253.

[0134] In steps S231 to S233 and S251 to S252, similar to steps S131 to S133 and S151 to S152 in FIG. 9, an M-search message and an M-search response are exchanged between the information device 10 and the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, and the information device 10 obtains the device description provided by each display device 20.

[0135] Information device 10 broadcasts a switching message to network 80 using UDP (S234).

[0136] Each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 that received this switching message displays a friendly name (text B22-1 to B22-3 in FIG. 12) corresponding to the friendlyName element of its own device description superimposed on the screen of the display 204 (S253).

[0137] Meanwhile, the information device 10 displays a friendly name (text corresponding to text B22-1 to B22-3 in FIG. 12) corresponding to the friendlyName element based on the acquired device description on the selection screen A22 (FIG. 12) (S235).

[0138] This allows the user to identify each display device 20 and select the desired display device 20 as the device to be shared by comparing the friendly name (text) displayed on the selection screen A22 of the information device 10 with the friendly name (text) superimposed on the screen of each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 (S212).

[0139] When a device to be shared is determined based on a user operation on the selection screen A22, the information device 10 stores the IP address of the display device 20 as the device to be shared in the memory 103 (S236). Then, the information device 10 exchanges data with the selected display device 20 (device to be shared) based on the stored IP address, thereby performing screen sharing.

[0140] As described above, in the second example of the screen sharing method, common text is displayed on the display 121 of the information device 10 and the display 204 of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, so that the user can easily and reliably select the display device 20 that will share the screen with the information device 10 simply by checking the text displayed on the display of each device.

[0141] (Third example) FIG. 14 shows a third example of the screen sharing method.

[0142] In this third example of the screen sharing method, when screen sharing is performed, a common random number (a random number unique to each device) is displayed on the information device 10 and each of the multiple display devices 20, making the multiple display devices 20 identifiable by the common random number, thereby enabling screen sharing.

[0143] That is, in FIG. 14, when screen sharing is performed from information device 10 to display device 20, the list on selection screen A23 of information device 10 displays random numbers ("41248", "11136", "38767") corresponding to random numbers B23-1 to B23-3 displayed on the screens of display devices 20-1 to 20-3, respectively.

[0144] By comparing the random numbers listed on the selection screen A23 of the information device 10 with the random numbers B23-1 to B23-3 superimposed on the screens of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, the user can identify the display devices 20 that are candidates for screen sharing and select the display device 20 that will be the target for screen sharing.

[0145] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the third example of the screen sharing method.

[0146] 15, each processing step of the information device 10 is executed by a processing unit 100. Also, each processing step of the display device 20 is executed by a processing unit 200.

[0147] When a search operation for the display device 20 (candidate sharing device) is performed (S311), the information device 10 (source sharing device) executes the processes of steps S331 to S336, and the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 each execute the processes of steps S351 to S355.

[0148] In steps S331 to S333 and S351 to S352, similar to steps S131 to S133 and S151 to S152 in FIG. 9, an M-search message and an M-search response are exchanged between the information device 10 and the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, and the information device 10 obtains the device description provided by each display device 20.

[0149] Information device 10 broadcasts a switching message to network 80 using UDP (S334).

[0150] Each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 that received this switching message generates a random number (S353). This random number can be generated using various methods, such as a method that uses random numbers. However, when generating the random number, a number that is different from the random numbers generated by the other sharing candidate devices is generated.

[0151] Each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 stores the generated random number (its value) in the device description (S354).

[0152] An example of a random number description is shown in Fig. 16. In Fig. 16, a random number (value) is described as a "random number value" in the deviceID element of the device description.

[0153] Returning to the explanation of FIG. 15, each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 displays the generated random numbers (random numbers B23-1 to B23-3 in FIG. 14) superimposed on the screen of the display 204 (S355).

[0154] The information device 10, in accordance with the stored specified URL, acquires (S335) the random number stored in the device description provided by each display device 20. The information device 10 displays the acquired random number (the random number corresponding to the random numbers B23-1 to B23-3 in FIG. 14) together with the friendly name on the selection screen A23 (FIG. 14) (S336).

[0155] This allows the user to compare the random number displayed on the selection screen A23 of the information device 10 with the random numbers superimposed on the screens of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, thereby identifying each display device 20 and selecting the desired display device 20 as the device to be shared (S312).

[0156] When a device to be shared is determined based on a user operation on the selection screen A23, the information device 10 stores the IP address of the display device 20 as the device to be shared in the memory 103 (S337). Then, the information device 10 exchanges data with the selected display device 20 (device to be shared) based on the stored IP address, thereby performing screen sharing.

[0157] As described above, in the third example of the screen sharing method, a common random number is displayed on the display 121 of the information device 10 and the display 204 of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, so that the user can easily and reliably select the display device 20 that will share the screen with the information device 10 simply by checking the random number displayed on the display of each device.

[0158] In the above description, a case where a random number is displayed is exemplified, but the display is not limited to a random number, and a unique character string or code may also be displayed.

[0159] (Example 4) FIG. 17 shows a fourth example of the screen sharing method.

[0160] In this fourth example of the screen sharing method, when screen sharing is performed, a two-dimensional code (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark) or the like) is displayed on each of the multiple display devices 20, and the two-dimensional code displayed on the desired display device 20 is read by the information device 10, thereby allowing screen sharing to be performed between the information device 10 and the desired display device 20.

[0161] That is, in FIG. 17, when screen sharing is performed from the information device 10 to the display device 20, two-dimensional codes B24-1 to B24-3 unique to each device are displayed on the screens of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, respectively.

[0162] At this time, the two-dimensional code reading application A24 is launched in response to a user operation in the information device 10. The two-dimensional code reading application A24 is a dedicated application for reading a two-dimensional code by using the photographing function of the camera 107 or the like. At this time, the two-dimensional code reading application A24 may be launched based on the user's selection to launch an application, or may be launched automatically in response to the two-dimensional code being displayed on the screen of the display device 20.

[0163] For example, a user can select the display device 20-3 to be the target for screen sharing by holding up an information device 10 on which the 2D code reading application A24 has been launched and reading the 2D code B24-3 on the screen of the display device 20-3 that the user wants to be the target for screen sharing from among the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 that are candidates for screen sharing.

[0164] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the fourth example of the screen sharing method.

[0165] 18, each processing step of the information device 10 is executed by a processing unit 100. Also, each processing step of the display device 20 is executed by a processing unit 200.

[0166] When a search operation for the display device 20 (candidate sharing device) is performed (S411), the information device 10 (source sharing device) executes the processes of steps S431 to S435, and the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 each execute the processes of steps S451 to S455.

[0167] In steps S431 to S433 and S451 to S452, similar to steps S131 to S133 and S151 to S152 in FIG. 9, an M-search message and an M-search response are exchanged between the information device 10 and the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, and the information device 10 obtains the device description provided by each display device 20.

[0168] Information device 10 broadcasts a switching message to network 80 using UDP (S434).

[0169] Each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 that received this switching message generates a two-dimensional code (S453). When generating this two-dimensional code, for example, an API (Application Programming Interface) for generating two-dimensional codes or a service for generating two-dimensional codes can be used. A two-dimensional code is a display code that has information in both horizontal and vertical directions, and for example, the currently widely used QR Code (registered trademark) can be used.

[0170] Each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 stores the value (character string) of the generated two-dimensional code in the device description (S454).

[0171] An example of a description of a two-dimensional code value is shown in Fig. 19. In Fig. 19, the value of the two-dimensional code, which is "2d code value," is described as the 2dCode element of the device description.

[0172] Returning to the explanation of FIG. 18, each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 superimposes the generated two-dimensional code (two-dimensional codes B24-1 to B24-3 in FIG. 17) on the screen of the display 204 (S455).

[0173] The information device 10 follows the stored designated URL and acquires the value of the two-dimensional code stored in the device description provided by each display device 20 (S435).

[0174] Here, when a user holds an information device 10 on which the two-dimensional code reading application A24 (FIG. 17) has been launched over a two-dimensional code displayed on the screen of a desired display device 20 as a device to be shared, and performs a photographing operation of the two-dimensional code (S412), the following processing is performed in the information device 10.

[0175] That is, the information device 10 captures an image of the two-dimensional code on the screen of the desired display device 20 as the device to be shared, and decodes the captured image of the two-dimensional code (S436).

[0176] Furthermore, the information device 10 compares the value of the two-dimensional code obtained by decoding with the value of the two-dimensional code obtained from the acquired device description, and determines the display device 20 as the device to be shared based on the comparison result (S437).

[0177] Furthermore, the information device 10 stores the IP address of the display device 20 as the device to be shared in the memory 103 (S438). Then, the information device 10 exchanges data with the selected display device 20 (device to be shared) based on the stored IP address, thereby sharing the screen.

[0178] As described above, in the fourth example of the screen sharing method, a two-dimensional code is displayed on the display 204 of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, and the user can simply take a picture of the two-dimensional code displayed on the display 204 of the desired display device 20 with the camera 107 of the information device 10, thereby easily and reliably selecting the display device 20 that will share the screen with the information device 10.

[0179] In the above description, the two-dimensional code is read using the two-dimensional code reading application A24, but the two-dimensional code may be read using another function of the information device 10.

[0180] (Fifth Example) FIG. 20 shows a fifth example of the screen sharing method.

[0181] In the fifth example of this screen sharing method, when screen sharing is performed, sounds (sound waves) are output from each of the multiple display devices 20, and the sound waves are detected by the information device 10, thereby enabling screen sharing between the information device 10 and the desired display device 20.

[0182] That is, in FIG. 20, when screen sharing is performed from the information device 10 to the display device 20, sound waves B25-1 to B25-3 are output from the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, respectively.

[0183] At this time, the information device 10 can detect the sound waves B25-1 to B25-3 output from the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 by using the functions of the microphone 112, the sensor 106, and the like.

[0184] For example, the user can select the display device 20-3 to be the target for screen sharing by moving the information device 10 and detecting the sound waves A25 output from the display device 20-3 that is the target for screen sharing among the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 that are candidates for screen sharing.

[0185] FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the fifth example of the screen sharing method.

[0186] 21, each processing step of the information device 10 is executed by a processing unit 100. Also, each processing step of the display device 20 is executed by a processing unit 200.

[0187] When a search operation for the display device 20 (candidate sharing device) is performed (S511), the information device 10 (source sharing device) executes the processes of steps S531 to S535, and the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 each execute the processes of steps S551 to S555.

[0188] In steps S531 to S533 and S551 to S552, similar to steps S131 to S133 and S151 to S152 in FIG. 9, an M-search message and an M-search response are exchanged between the information device 10 and the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, and the information device 10 obtains the device description provided by each display device 20.

[0189] Information device 10 broadcasts a switching message to network 80 using UDP (S534).

[0190] Each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 that received this switching message generates a sound wave pattern file (S553). This sound wave pattern file may be sequentially generated by a sound wave pattern generator, or may use a file that the display device 20 previously stores, or a file acquired from an external source.

[0191] The display devices 20-1 to 20-3 store the generated sound wave pattern file at the address specified in the url element of the renderPattern element described in the device description (S554).

[0192] Fig. 22 shows an example of how to write the address of a sound wave pattern file. In Fig. 22, the relative address and file name of the field "relative address value / filename" are written as the url element of the renderPattern element of the device description.

[0193] At this time, each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 stores the generated sound wave pattern file in a location specified by a relative address value, with a specified file name.

[0194] Returning to the explanation of FIG. 21, each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 outputs sound waves (sound waves B25-1 to B25-3 in FIG. 20) according to the generated sound wave pattern file from the speaker 205 or the output unit 208 (S555).

[0195] The information device 10 obtains the sound wave pattern file stored in the device description provided by each display device 20 according to the stored designated URL (S535).

[0196] Here, when the user brings the information device 10 close to the desired display device 20 as the device to be shared and performs a sound detection operation (S512), the following process is performed in the information device 10.

[0197] That is, the information device 10 detects sound waves output from the desired display device 20 as the device to be shared, and converts the detected sound waves into a pattern file (S536).

[0198] Furthermore, the information device 10 compares the file of the detected sound wave pattern with the acquired sound wave pattern file, and determines the display device 20 as the sharing target device according to the comparison result (S537).

[0199] Furthermore, the information device 10 stores the IP address of the display device 20 as the device to be shared in the memory 103 (S538). Then, the information device 10 exchanges data with the selected display device 20 (device to be shared) based on the stored IP address, thereby sharing the screen.

[0200] As described above, in the fifth example of the screen sharing method, sound waves are output from the speakers 205, etc. of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, so that the user can simply and reliably select the display device 20 that will share the screen with the information device 10 by simply detecting the sound waves from the speaker 205, etc. of the desired display device 20 using the microphone 112, sensor 106, etc. of the information device 10.

[0201] (Example 6) FIG. 23 shows a sixth example of the screen sharing method.

[0202] In the sixth example of this screen sharing method, when screen sharing is performed, light is output from each of the multiple display devices 20, and the light is detected by the information device 10, thereby enabling screen sharing between the information device 10 and the desired display device 20.

[0203] That is, in FIG. 23, when screen sharing is performed from the information device 10 to the display device 20, light B26-1 to B26-3 are output from the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, respectively.

[0204] At this time, the information device 10 can detect the light B26-1 to B26-3 output from the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 by using the functions of the sensor 106, the camera 107, and the like.

[0205] For example, the user can select the display device 20-3 to be the target for screen sharing by moving the information device 10 and detecting the light A26 output from the display device 20-3 that is the target for screen sharing among the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 that are candidates for screen sharing.

[0206] FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the sixth example of the screen sharing method.

[0207] 24, each processing step of the information device 10 is executed by a processing unit 100. Also, each processing step of the display device 20 is executed by a processing unit 200.

[0208] When a search operation for the display device 20 (share candidate device) is performed (S611), the information device 10 (share source device) executes the processes of steps S631 to S635, and the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 each execute the processes of steps S651 to S655.

[0209] In steps S631 to S633 and S651 to S652, similar to steps S131 to S133 and S151 to S152 in FIG. 9, an M-search message and an M-search response are exchanged between the information device 10 and the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, and the information device 10 obtains the device description provided by each display device 20.

[0210] Information device 10 broadcasts a switching message to network 80 using UDP (S634).

[0211] Each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 that received this switching message generates a light emission pattern file (S653). This light emission pattern file may be generated sequentially by a light emission pattern generator, or may use a file that the display device 20 holds in advance or a file acquired from an external source.

[0212] The display devices 20-1 to 20-3 store the generated light emission pattern files at the addresses specified in the url elements of the renderPattern elements described in the device descriptions (S654).

[0213] 25 shows an example of the description of the address of a light emission pattern file. Each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 stores the generated light emission pattern file in a location specified by a relative address value, with a specified file name.

[0214] Returning to the explanation of FIG. 24, each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 outputs light (light B26-1 to B26-3 in FIG. 23) according to the generated light emission pattern file from the output unit 208, display 204, etc. (S655).

[0215] The information device 10 obtains the light emission pattern file stored in the device description provided by each display device 20 according to the stored designated URL (S635).

[0216] Here, when the user brings the information device 10 close to the desired display device 20 as the device to be shared and performs a light detection operation (S612), the following process is performed in the information device 10.

[0217] That is, the information device 10 detects the light output from the desired display device 20 as the device to be shared, and converts the detected light into a pattern file (S636).

[0218] Furthermore, the information device 10 compares the detected light pattern file with the acquired light emission pattern file, and determines the display device 20 as the sharing target device according to the comparison result (S637).

[0219] Furthermore, the information device 10 stores the IP address of the display device 20 as the device to be shared in the memory 103 (S638). Then, the information device 10 exchanges data with the selected display device 20 (device to be shared) based on the stored IP address, thereby sharing the screen.

[0220] As described above, in the sixth example of the screen sharing method, light is output from the output units 208, etc. of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, so the user can simply and reliably select the display device 20 that will share the screen with the information device 10 by simply detecting the light from the output unit 208, etc. of the desired display device 20 using the sensor 106, camera 107, etc. of the information device 10.

[0221] (Example 7) FIG. 26 shows a seventh example of the screen sharing method.

[0222] In the seventh example of this screen sharing method, when screen sharing is performed, at least one of sound (sound waves) and an image is output from a plurality of display devices 20, and a fingerprint of at least one of the sound (sound waves) and the image is extracted by the information device 10, thereby enabling screen sharing between the information device 10 and the desired display device 20.

[0223] 26, when screen sharing is performed from the information device 10 to the display device 20, sound waves B27-1 to B27-3 are output from the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, respectively. At this time, the information device 10 can capture the sound waves B27-1 to B27-3 output from the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 by using the functions of the microphone 112, the sensor 106, etc.

[0224] 26, images C27-1 to C27-3 are displayed on display devices 20-1 to 20-3, respectively. At this time, information device 10 can capture images C27-1 to C27-3 displayed on display devices 20-1 to 20-3 by using functions of camera 107, sensor 106, etc.

[0225] For example, the user can move the information device 10, capture the sound waves A27 output from the display device 20-3 that the user wants to use as the target for screen sharing among the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 that are candidates for screen sharing, and use the fingerprint extracted from the sound waves A27 to select the display device 20-3 that will be the target for screen sharing.

[0226] FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the seventh example of the screen sharing method.

[0227] 27, each processing step of the information device 10 is executed by a processing unit 100. Also, each processing step of the display device 20 is executed by a processing unit 200.

[0228] When a search operation for the display device 20 (candidate sharing device) is performed (S711), the information device 10 (source sharing device) executes the processes of steps S731 to S735, and the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 each execute the processes of steps S751 to S755.

[0229] In steps S731 to S733 and S751 to S752, similar to steps S131 to S133 and S151 to S152 in FIG. 9, an M-search message and an M-search response are exchanged between the information device 10 and the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, and the information device 10 obtains the device description provided by each display device 20.

[0230] Information device 10 broadcasts a switching message to network 80 using UDP (S734).

[0231] Each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 that has received this switching message generates a fingerprint file based on the fingerprint obtained from at least one of the sound (sound wave) and the image (S753).

[0232] The display devices 20-1 to 20-3 store the generated fingerprint file at the address specified in the url element of the soundSource element or displaySource element of the device description (S754).

[0233] FIG. 28 shows an example of a description of the address of a fingerprint file.

[0234] The sound fingerprint file is stored with the specified filename at the location specified by the relative address value of the url element of the soundSource element. The image fingerprint file is stored with the specified filename at the location specified by the relative address value of the url element of the displaySource element.

[0235] Returning to the explanation of FIG. 27, each of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3 outputs at least one of a sound wave and an image according to the generated fingerprint file (S755).

[0236] Specifically, in display devices 20-1 to 20-3, sound waves (sound waves B27-1 to B27-3 in Figure 26) are output from speaker 205, etc. based on the sound wave fingerprint file, and images (images C27-1 to C27-3 in Figure 26) are displayed on display 204, etc. based on the image fingerprint file.

[0237] The information device 10 follows the stored designated URL to acquire the fingerprint file stored in the device description provided by each display device 20 (S735).

[0238] Here, when the user brings the information device 10 close to the desired display device 20 as the device to be shared and performs an operation to capture sound or an image (S712), the following process is performed in the information device 10.

[0239] That is, the information device 10 acquires sound waves or an image output from the desired display device 20 as the device to be shared, and extracts a fingerprint from the sound waves or the image (S736).

[0240] Furthermore, the information device 10 compares the extracted fingerprint with the fingerprint obtained from the acquired fingerprint file, and determines the display device 20 as the device to be shared based on the comparison result (S737).

[0241] In addition, since each display device 20 describes the relative address of the file related to the sound waves in the device description, the information device 10 can obtain the file related to the sound waves according to the relative address, compare it with the imported sound waves, and determine whether they match.

[0242] Furthermore, each display device 20 may detect the feature points of the sound waves and describe the feature point detection information in the device description, so that the information device 10 can compare and judge the feature points of the captured sound waves based on the feature point detection information acquired according to the relative address.

[0243] Furthermore, each display device 20 may insert a watermark into the audio (sound waves), generate a file of the watermark parameters, and describe the relative address of the file in the device description, so that the information device 10 can obtain the watermark parameter file according to the relative address and compare and judge it with the watermark extracted from the captured audio (sound waves).

[0244] Furthermore, each display device 20 describes the relative address of the file related to the image or video in the device description, and the information device 10 can obtain the file related to the image or video according to the relative address and compare and determine it with the imported image or video.

[0245] Furthermore, each display device 20 may detect feature points of an image and describe the feature point detection information in the device description, so that the information device 10 can compare and judge the feature points of the captured image based on the feature point detection information acquired according to the relative address.

[0246] Furthermore, the feature point detection process in both or either of the information device 10 and the display device 20 may be performed by an external device such as a server connected to both or either of the information device 10 and the display device 20 via the network 80 or the network 90. ​​In this case, both or either of the information device 10 and the display device 20 may transmit information about the acquired sound waves or image to the external device, and acquire feature point detection information of the sound waves or image detected by the external device, thereby describing the feature point detection information in the device description and performing feature point comparison and determination processing. The information device 10 may perform processing to determine the display device 20 as a sharing target device based on the fingerprint and feature point comparison and determination processing performed by the external device.

[0247] In addition, each display device 20 may insert a watermark into the video, generate a file containing the watermark parameters, and write the relative address of the file in the device description, so that the information device 10 can obtain the watermark parameter file according to the relative address and compare and judge it with the watermark extracted from the imported video (image).

[0248] The information device 10 stores the IP address of the display device 20 as the target device for sharing in the memory 103 (S738). Then, the information device 10 exchanges data with the selected display device 20 (target device for sharing) based on the stored IP address, thereby sharing the screen.

[0249] As described above, in the seventh example of the screen sharing method, sound waves and images are output from the speakers 205, displays 204, etc. of the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, so that the user can simply capture the sound waves and images output from the desired display device 20 using the microphone 112, camera 107, etc. of the information device 10, and easily and reliably select the display device 20 that will share the screen with the information device 10.

[0250] (Example 8) Incidentally, in the above explanation, we have described the case where each screen sharing method corresponding to the new method is implemented independently, but it is also possible to prepare multiple screen sharing methods and implement the most appropriate screen sharing method from among the multiple screen sharing methods depending on various conditions.

[0251] FIG. 29 shows an example of a device description when multiple screen sharing methods are provided.

[0252] In Figure 29, the device description includes a deviceType element, a friendlyName element, a manufacturer element, a manufacturerURL element, a modelDescription element, a modelName element, a modelNumber element, a modelURL element, a serialNumber element, a UDN element, a UPC element, and an iconList element, similar to Figure 10 described above.

[0253] In addition, in FIG. 29, a displaySource element, a soundSource element, a deviceID element, a qrCode element, and a renderPattern element are added to the device description.

[0254] The displaySource element includes a picture_url element and a fingerprint_url element. The picture_url element corresponds to the first example of the screen sharing method described above, and specifies the relative address and file name when storing an image file. The fingerprint_url element corresponds to the seventh example of the screen sharing method described above, and specifies the relative address and file name when storing an image fingerprint file.

[0255] The soundSource element includes a fingerprint_url element, which corresponds to the seventh example of the screen sharing method described above, and specifies the relative address and file name for storing the sound fingerprint file.

[0256] The deviceID element corresponds to the third example of the screen sharing method described above, and a random number is specified for it. The qrCode element corresponds to the fourth example of the screen sharing method described above, and a two-dimensional code value is specified for it.

[0257] The renderPattern element includes a soundEmission_url element and a lightEmission_url element. The soundEmission_url element is an element corresponding to the fifth example of the screen sharing method described above, and specifies the relative address and file name when storing the sound wave pattern file. The lightEmission_url element is an element corresponding to the sixth example of the screen sharing method described above, and specifies the relative address and file name when storing the light emission pattern file.

[0258] In this way, the above-mentioned device description (Figure 29) describes elements corresponding to the screen sharing method implemented for each display device 20, so the information device 10 can recognize the screen sharing method implemented by each display device 20 based on the device description (Figure 29) obtained from each display device 20 and implement a more appropriate screen sharing method.

[0259] 30 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the eighth example of the screen sharing method. In FIG. 30, each processing step is executed by the processing unit 100 of the information device 10.

[0260] Information device 10 broadcasts an M-search message to network 80 using UDP (S831).

[0261] Based on the M-search responses received from the display devices 20-1 to 20-3, the information device 10 stores the IP addresses and device description URLs of the respective display devices 20 in the memory 103 (S832).

[0262] The information device 10 obtains the device description provided by each display device 20 according to the stored designated URL (S833).

[0263] Information device 10 broadcasts a switching message to network 80 using UDP (S834).

[0264] The information device 10, in accordance with the stored specified URL, acquires the device description provided by each display device 20 (S835). The acquired device description includes an element corresponding to the screen sharing method implemented for each display device 20 (FIG. 29).

[0265] The information device 10 determines the supported screen sharing method by majority vote based on the device description (FIG. 29) provided by each display device 20 (S836).

[0266] When making this decision, the screen sharing method implemented by each display device 20 can be recognized from the device description of each display device 20 (Figure 29), so the screen sharing method implemented by the largest number of display devices 20 can be selected.

[0267] In this case, if there are multiple screen sharing methods with the same number of highest frequency, the screen sharing method to be implemented can be selected according to a preset priority, etc. Specifically, for example, if the fourth example of the screen sharing method has a higher priority than the seventh example of the screen sharing method, the method using the two-dimensional code will be given priority over the method using the fingerprint.

[0268] Note that the method of determining the screen sharing method using majority vote is one example, and the screen sharing method may be determined using, for example, setting information set by the user or past history information.

[0269] The information device 10 starts the process of the determined screen sharing method (S837).

[0270] As described above, in the eighth example of the screen sharing method, even if the screen sharing methods implemented on each display device 20 are different, a more appropriate screen sharing method is selected, so that the user can more reliably select a display device 20 to share the screen with the information device 10.

[0271] <2. Modifications>

[0272] (Other configurations of the system) The above-described configuration is one example of the configuration of the content reproduction system 1, and other configurations may be adopted by adding other devices not shown or removing the devices shown.

[0273] For example, in the content playback system 1, the information device 10 or the display device 20 may be connected (directly connected) to a network 90 such as the Internet or a mobile phone network without going through the router 30, and receive streaming data distributed from the distribution server 40.

[0274] In the above description, a case has been described in which screen sharing is performed from an information device 10 such as a smartphone to a display device 20 such as a television receiver, but the opposite may also be true, where screen sharing is performed from a display device 20 such as a television receiver to an information device 10 such as a smartphone. In this case, a screen sharing method compatible with the new method described above is also used.

[0275] Furthermore, in the configuration of the content playback system 1 described above, an example is given in which the information device 10 and multiple display devices 20 are installed in a specific space such as a user's home, but the information device 10 and multiple display devices 20 may also be installed in another space such as another user's home.

[0276] In the above explanation, the information device 10 and the display device 20 have been mainly described as receiving (playing) communication content, but when other content such as broadcast content or recorded content is received (played), a screen sharing method compatible with the new method may also be used.

[0277] In addition, in the above description, a case has been shown in which a friendly name such as the name of the device is displayed on the selection screen of the information device 10 during screen sharing, but text other than the name of the device, such as various statuses (such as light color and temperature) or model number, may also be displayed (simultaneously). For example, along with the friendly name indicating the display device 20 on the selection screen A21, the name or summary of the content currently being played on the corresponding display device 20 may be displayed, or information regarding the processing being performed by the display device 20 may be displayed.

[0278] In the above description, the display devices 20-1 to 20-N are all television sets, but of course they may be devices other than television sets. Furthermore, the display devices 20-1 to 20-N are not limited to being composed of only the same type of device, such as television sets, but may be composed of multiple types of devices, such as television sets and display devices. For example, the display device 20 may be a refrigerator whose screen can be shared with the information device 10, and the selection screen A21 displayed on the information device 10 may display information about content output by the refrigerator, which is the display device 20, or about recipes displayed on the refrigerator's display.

[0279] In this disclosure, a system refers to a collection of multiple components (devices, modules (components), etc.), regardless of whether all the components are in the same housing. Therefore, multiple devices housed in separate housings and connected via a network, and a single device housed in a single housing with multiple modules, are both systems.

[0280] The communication form of each component is also arbitrary. In other words, each component may be connected as network 80 or network 90 via a communication network such as the Internet, an intranet, or a mobile phone network, or may be connected via a local network (LAN (Local Area Network) or WAN (Wide Area Network)). Furthermore, each component may be connected by wire or wirelessly. Note that network 80 and network 90 may be the same network.

[0281] (Overall structure) FIG. 31 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0282] 31, a system 10 corresponding to an information device 10 (or a display device 20) includes an input unit 101, a processing unit 100, and an output unit 102. The input unit 101, the processing unit 100, and the output unit 102 are realized by one or more information processing devices, as shown in a configuration example of the system 10 described later.

[0283] In the following description, the configuration of the system 10 corresponding to the information device 10 will be described as a representative example, but a system corresponding to the display device 20 can also be configured in the same way.

[0284] (Example of input section) The input unit 101 includes, for example, an operation input device, a sensor, or software that acquires information from an external service, and receives input of various information from a user, the surrounding environment, or other services.

[0285] The operation input device includes, for example, hardware buttons, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, a touch sensor, a proximity sensor, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a temperature sensor, etc., and accepts operation input by a user. The operation input device may also include a camera (image sensor) or a microphone, etc., that accepts operation input expressed by a user's gesture or voice.

[0286] The input unit 101 may include a processor or processing circuit that converts signals or data acquired by the operation input device into operation commands. Alternatively, the input unit 101 may output signals or data acquired by the operation input device to the interface 150 without converting them into operation commands. In this case, the signals or data acquired by the operation input device are converted into operation commands by the processing unit 100, for example.

[0287] The sensors include an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, an illuminance sensor, a temperature sensor, or an air pressure sensor, and detect the acceleration, angular velocity, direction, illuminance, temperature, air pressure, etc. applied to the device. For example, when a device including the sensors is carried or worn by a user, the various sensors described above can detect various types of information as information about the user, such as information indicating the user's movement or orientation.

[0288] The sensors may also include sensors that detect the user's biological information, such as pulse, sweat, brain waves, touch, smell, and taste. The input unit 101 may include a processing circuit that acquires information indicating the user's emotions by analyzing the information detected by these sensors and / or image or audio data detected by a camera or microphone, which will be described later. Alternatively, the above-mentioned information and / or data may be output to the interface 150 without analysis, and the analysis may be performed in, for example, the processing unit 100.

[0289] Furthermore, the sensor may acquire image or sound data in the vicinity of the user or device using a camera, a microphone, the various sensors described above, etc. The sensor may also include a position detection means for detecting an indoor or outdoor position.

[0290] Specifically, the position detection means may include a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, a GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, a BDS (BeiDou Navigation Satellite System) receiver, and / or a communication device.

[0291] The communication device detects its location using technologies such as Wi-fi (registered trademark), MIMO (Multi-Input Multi-Output), cellular communication (e.g., location detection using mobile base stations, femtocells), or short-range wireless communication (e.g., BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), Bluetooth (registered trademark)), LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), etc.

[0292] When the above-described sensor detects the user's position and situation (including biometric information), the device including the sensor is carried or worn by the user, for example. Alternatively, even when the device including the sensor is installed in the user's living environment, it may be possible to detect the user's position and situation (including biometric information). For example, the user's pulse can be detected by analyzing an image including the user's face acquired by a camera fixedly installed indoors.

[0293] The input unit 101 may include a processor or processing circuit that converts the signals or data acquired by the sensors into a predetermined format (for example, converting analog signals into digital signals or encoding image or audio data). Alternatively, the input unit 101 may output the acquired signals or data to the interface 150 without converting them into a predetermined format. In this case, the signals or data acquired by the sensors are converted into operation commands by the processing unit 100.

[0294] The software that acquires information from an external service may acquire various pieces of information provided by the external service by, for example, utilizing the API (Application Program Interface) of the external service. The software may acquire information from, for example, the server of the external service, or from application software of the service running on the client device.

[0295] The software may retrieve information such as text and images posted by the user or other users on external services such as social media.

[0296] The acquired information does not necessarily have to be intentionally posted by the user or other users, and may be, for example, a log of operations performed by the user or other users. Furthermore, the acquired information is not limited to personal information of the user or other users, and may be information distributed to an unspecified number of users, such as news, weather forecasts, traffic information, POIs (Points of Interest), or advertisements.

[0297] In addition, the information obtained from the external service may include information obtained by the various sensors described above, such as acceleration, angular velocity, direction, altitude, illuminance, temperature, air pressure, pulse rate, sweating, brain waves, touch, smell, taste, and other biometric information, emotions, and location information, which is detected by sensors included in other systems that link with the external service and posted to the external service.

[0298] The interface 150 is an interface between the input unit 101 and the processing unit 100. For example, when the input unit 101 and the processing unit 100 are realized by separate devices, the interface 150 may include a wired or wireless communication interface. Also, the Internet may be interposed between the input unit 101 and the processing unit 100.

[0299] More specifically, the wired or wireless communication interface may include cellular communication such as 3G / LTE / 5G, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC (Near Field Communication), Ethernet (registered trademark), HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), USB (Universal Serial Bus), etc.

[0300] Furthermore, when the input unit 101 and at least a part of the processing unit 100 are realized in the same device, the interface 150 may include a bus within the device, a data reference within a program module, etc. (hereinafter, these are also referred to as interfaces within the device).

[0301] Furthermore, when the input unit 101 is realized in a distributed manner in multiple devices, the interface 150 may include different types of interfaces for each device. For example, the interface 150 may include both a communication interface and an interface within the device.

[0302] (Example of processing section) The processing unit 100 executes various processes based on the information acquired by the input unit 101. More specifically, the processing unit 100 includes, for example, a processor or processing circuit such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0303] The processing unit 100 may also include a memory or storage device that temporarily or permanently stores programs executed by the processor or processing circuit, and data read and written during processing.

[0304] The processing unit 100 may be realized by a single processor or processing circuit in a single device, or may be realized by distributing it across multiple devices or multiple processors or processing circuits in the same device.

[0305] When the processing unit 100 is realized in a distributed manner, an interface 170 is interposed between the divided parts of the processing unit 100, as in the examples shown in Figures 32 and 33. The interface 170 may include a communication interface or an interface within a device, similar to the interface 150 described above.

[0306] In the detailed description of the processing unit 100 given below, individual functional blocks constituting the processing unit 100 are illustrated, but the interface 170 may be interposed between any of the functional blocks. In other words, when the processing unit 100 is realized by distributing it among a plurality of devices, or a plurality of processors or processing circuits, how the functional blocks are allocated to each device, processor, or processing circuit is arbitrary unless otherwise specified.

[0307] (Example of output section) The output unit 102 outputs the information provided from the processing unit 100 to a user (which may be the same user as the user of the input unit 101 or a different user), an external device, or another service. For example, the output unit 102 may include software that provides information to an output device, a control device, or an external service.

[0308] The output device outputs the information provided by the processing unit 100 in a format that can be perceived by the user (who may be the same user as the user of the input unit 101 or a different user) through their senses such as sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. For example, the output device is a display and outputs information as an image.

[0309] The display is not limited to a reflective or self-luminous display such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, but also includes a combination of a light source and a light guide member that guides image display light to the user's eyes, as used in wearable devices. The output device may also include a speaker and output information by sound. Alternatively, the output device may include a projector, a vibrator, or the like.

[0310] The control device controls the device based on information provided by the processing unit 100. The controlled device may be included in the device that implements the output unit 102, or may be an external device. More specifically, for example, the control device includes a processor or processing circuitry that generates control commands.

[0311] When an external device is controlled, the output unit 102 may further include a communication device that transmits a control command to the external device. The control device controls, for example, a printer that outputs the information provided from the processing unit 100 as a printed matter. The control device may also include a driver that controls writing of the information provided from the processing unit 100 to a storage device or a removable recording medium.

[0312] Alternatively, the control device may control a device other than the device that outputs or records information provided by the processing unit 100. For example, the control device may control a lighting device to turn on the lights, a television to turn off the screen, an audio device to adjust the volume, or a robot to control its movements, etc.

[0313] The control device may also control an input device included in the input unit 101. That is, the control device can control the input device to acquire predetermined information. The control device may also be implemented as the same device as the input device. This allows the input device to control other input devices. For example, when there are multiple camera devices, normally only one is activated for power saving purposes, but when a person is recognized, one activated camera device controls the activation of other connected camera devices.

[0314] The software that provides information to an external service uses, for example, an API of the external service to provide the external service with the information provided by the processing unit 100. The software may provide the information to, for example, a server of the external service, or to application software of the service running on a client device.

[0315] The provided information does not necessarily have to be reflected in the external service immediately, but may be provided as a candidate for the user to post or send to the external service, for example.

[0316] More specifically, for example, the software may provide text to be used as search keywords or URL (Uniform Resource Locator) candidates entered by a user in browser software running on a client device. Also, for example, the software may post text, images, video, audio, etc. to external services such as social media on behalf of a user.

[0317] The interface 160 is an interface between the processing unit 100 and the output unit 102. For example, when the processing unit 100 and the output unit 102 are realized by separate devices, the interface 160 may include a wired or wireless communication interface.

[0318] Furthermore, when at least a part of the processing unit 100 and the output unit 102 are implemented in the same device, the interface 160 may include the interface within the device described above. Furthermore, when the output unit 102 is implemented in multiple devices, the interface 160 may include different types of interfaces for each device. For example, the interface 160 may include both a communication interface and an interface within the device.

[0319] (System Configuration) An embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above. As described above, the system 10 according to this embodiment includes an input unit 101, a processing unit 100, and an output unit 102, and these components are realized by one or more information processing devices. Below, examples of combinations of information processing devices that realize the system 10 will be described along with more specific examples.

[0320] (First example) FIG. 34 is a block diagram illustrating a first example of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0321] 34, the system 10 includes an information processing device 11. An input unit 101, a processing unit 100, and an output unit 102 are all realized in the information processing device 11. The information processing device 11 may be a terminal device or a server, as described below.

[0322] In this first example, the information processing device 11 may be a stand-alone device that does not communicate with an external device via a network to realize the functions according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0323] The information processing device 11 may communicate with an external device for other functions, and therefore may not necessarily be a standalone device. The interface 150A between the input unit 101 and the processing unit 100 and the interface 160A between the processing unit 100 and the output unit 102 may both be interfaces within the device.

[0324] In the first example, the information processing device 11 may be, for example, a terminal device. In this case, the input unit 101 may include an input device, a sensor, software for acquiring information from an external service, etc. The software for acquiring information from an external service acquires data from application software of the service running on the terminal device, for example.

[0325] The processing unit 100 is realized by a processor or processing circuit included in the terminal device operating according to a program stored in a memory or storage device. The output unit 102 may include an output device, a control device, software for providing information to an external service, etc. The software for providing information to an external service may provide information to application software for the service running on the terminal device, for example.

[0326] Alternatively, in the first example, the information processing device 11 may be a server. In this case, the input unit 101 may include software that acquires information from an external service. The software that acquires information from an external service acquires data from, for example, a server of the external service (which may be the information processing device 11 itself).

[0327] The processing unit 100 is realized by a processor included in the terminal device operating in accordance with a program stored in a memory or a storage device. The output unit 102 may include software for providing information to an external service. The software for providing information to an external service provides information to, for example, a server of the external service (which may be the information processing device 11 itself).

[0328] (Second example) FIG. 35 is a block diagram illustrating a second example of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0329] 35, a system 10 includes information processing devices 11 and 12. An input unit 101 and an output unit 102 are realized in the information processing device 11. On the other hand, a processing unit 100 is realized in the information processing device 12.

[0330] The information processing devices 11 and 12 communicate via a network to realize functions according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. An interface 150B between the input unit 101 and the processing unit 100 and an interface 160B between the processing unit 100 and the output unit 102 may both be communication interfaces between the devices.

[0331] In the second example, the information processing device 11 may be, for example, a terminal device. In this case, the input unit 101 may include an input device, a sensor, software for acquiring information from an external service, etc., similar to the first example described above. The output unit 102 may also include an output device, a control device, software for providing information to an external service, etc., similar to the first example described above.

[0332] Alternatively, the information processing device 11 may be a server for exchanging information with an external service. In this case, the input unit 101 may include software for acquiring information from the external service. The output unit 102 may include software for providing information to the external service.

[0333] In the second example, the information processing device 12 may be a server or a terminal device. The processing unit 100 is realized by a processor or a processing circuit included in the information processing device 12 operating in accordance with a program stored in a memory or a storage device.

[0334] The information processing device 12 may be a device dedicated to functioning as a server, for example. In this case, the information processing device 12 may be installed in a data center or in a home. Alternatively, the information processing device 12 may be a device that can be used as a terminal device for other functions but does not implement the input unit 101 and the output unit 102 for the functions according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0335] In the following example, the information processing device 12 may be a server or a terminal device in the sense described above.

[0336] As an example, consider a case where the information processing device 11 is a wearable device and the information processing device 12 is a mobile device connected to the wearable device via Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like.

[0337] When the wearable device accepts operation input from the user (input unit 101), the mobile device executes processing based on a request sent based on the operation input (processing unit 100), and the results of the processing are output from the wearable device (output unit 102), it can be said that the wearable device functions as the information processing device 11 in the second example described above, and the mobile device functions as the information processing device 12.

[0338] (Third example) FIG. 36 is a block diagram showing a third example of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0339] 36, a system 10 includes information processing devices 11A, 11B, and 12. An input unit 101 is realized in the information processing device 11A. An output unit 102 is realized in the information processing device 11B. Furthermore, a processing unit 100 is realized in the information processing device 12.

[0340] The information processing devices 11A and 11B communicate with the information processing device 12 via a network to realize functions according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. An interface 150B between the input unit 101 and the processing unit 100 and an interface 160B between the processing unit 100 and the output unit 102 may both be communication interfaces between the devices.

[0341] However, in the third example, since the information processing device 11A and the information processing device 11B are separate devices, the interfaces 150B and 160B may include different types of interfaces.

[0342] In the third example, the information processing devices 11A and 11B may be, for example, terminal devices. In this case, the input unit 101 may include an input device, a sensor, software for acquiring information from an external service, etc., similar to the first example described above. The output unit 102 may also include an output device, a control device, software for providing information to an external service, etc., similar to the first example described above.

[0343] Alternatively, one or both of the information processing devices 11A and 11B may be a server for acquiring information from an external service and providing information to the external service. In this case, the input unit 101 may include software for acquiring information from the external service. The output unit 102 may include software for providing information to the external service.

[0344] In the third example, the information processing device 12 may be a server or a terminal device, as in the second example described above. The processing unit 100 is realized by a processor or a processing circuit included in the information processing device 12 operating in accordance with a program stored in a memory or a storage device.

[0345] In the second example described above, the information processing device 11A that realizes the input unit 101 and the information processing device 11B that realizes the output unit 102 are separate devices. Therefore, for example, a function can be realized in which the result of processing based on an input acquired by the information processing device 11A, which is a terminal device owned or used by a first user, is output from the information processing device 11B, which is a terminal device owned or used by a second user different from the first user.

[0346] Also, a function can be realized in which the result of processing based on an input acquired by information processing device 11A, which is a terminal device owned or used by a first user, is output from information processing device 11B, which is a terminal device not in the first user's possession at the time (for example, installed at home when the first user is away). Alternatively, information processing device 11A and information processing device 11B may both be terminal devices owned or used by the same user.

[0347] For example, if the information processing devices 11A and 11B are wearable devices attached to different parts of the user, or are a combination of a wearable device and a mobile device, it is possible to provide the user with functions that link these devices.

[0348] (Example 4) FIG. 37 is a block diagram showing a fourth example of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0349] 37 , a system 10 includes information processing devices 11 and 12. In the fourth example, an input unit 101 and an output unit 102 are realized in the information processing device 11. On the other hand, a processing unit 100 is realized in a distributed manner in the information processing device 11 and the information processing device 12.

[0350] The information processing device 11 and the information processing device 12 communicate with each other via a network to realize the functions according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0351] As described above, in this fourth example, the processing unit 100 is realized in a distributed manner between the information processing device 11 and the information processing device 12.

[0352] More specifically, the processing unit 100 includes processing units 100A and 100C implemented by the information processing device 11, and a processing unit 100B implemented by the information processing device 12. The processing unit 100A executes processing based on information provided from the input unit 101 via the interface 150A, and provides the processing result to the processing unit 100B. In this sense, the processing unit 100A can also be said to execute preprocessing.

[0353] On the other hand, processing unit 100C executes processing based on information provided from processing unit 100B, and provides the processing results to output unit 102 via interface 160A. In this sense, processing unit 100C can also be said to execute post-processing.

[0354] In the illustrated example, both the processing unit 100A that performs pre-processing and the processing unit 100C that performs post-processing are shown, but in reality, only one of these processing units may be present.

[0355] That is, the information processing device 11 may realize the processing unit 100A that performs pre-processing but not the processing unit 100C that performs post-processing, and the information provided from the processing unit 100B may be provided as is to the output unit 102. Similarly, the information processing device 11 may realize the processing unit 100C that performs post-processing but not the processing unit 100A that performs pre-processing.

[0356] An interface 170B is interposed between the processing unit 100A and the processing unit 100B, and between the processing unit 100B and the processing unit 100C. The interface 170B is a communication interface between the devices.

[0357] On the other hand, when the information processing device 11 realizes the processing unit 100A, the interface 150A is an interface within the device. Similarly, when the information processing device 11 realizes the processing unit 100C, the interface 160A is an interface within the device.

[0358] The above-described fourth example is similar to the above-described second example, except that one or both of the processing unit 100A and the processing unit 100C are realized by a processor or a processing circuit included in the information processing device 11. That is, the information processing device 11 may be a terminal device or a server for exchanging information with an external service. Furthermore, the information processing device 12 may be a server or a terminal device.

[0359] (Fifth Example) FIG. 38 is a block diagram showing a fifth example of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0360] 38, a system 10 includes information processing devices 11A, 11B, and 12. An input unit 101 is realized in the information processing device 11A. An output unit 102 is realized in the information processing device 11B. Furthermore, a processing unit 100 is realized in a distributed manner in the information processing devices 11A, 11B, and the information processing device 12.

[0361] The information processing devices 11A and 11B and the information processing device 12 communicate with each other via a network to realize functions according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0362] As shown in the drawing, in this fifth example, the processing unit 100 is realized in a distributed manner among the information processing devices 11A, 11B and the information processing device 12. More specifically, the processing unit 100 includes a processing unit 100A realized in the information processing device 11A, a processing unit 100B realized in the information processing device 12, and a processing unit 100C realized in the information processing device 11B.

[0363] Such distribution of the processing units 100 is similar to that in the above-described fourth example. However, in this fifth example, since the information processing device 11A and the information processing device 11B are separate devices, the interfaces 170B1 and 170B2 may include different types of interfaces.

[0364] The fifth example is similar to the third example described above, except that one or both of the processing unit 100A and the processing unit 100C are realized by a processor or processing circuit provided in the information processing device 11A or the information processing device 11B.

[0365] That is, the information processing devices 11A and 11B may be terminal devices or servers for exchanging information with external services. The information processing device 12 may be a server or a terminal device. In the following examples, a processing unit in a terminal or server having an input unit and an output unit will be omitted, but in any example, any or all of the devices may have a processing unit.

[0366] (Example of a client-server system) 39 is a diagram illustrating a client-server system as a more specific example of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the illustrated example, the information processing device 11 (or the information processing devices 11A and 11B) is a terminal device, and the information processing device 12 is a server.

[0367] As shown in the figure, the terminal devices may include, for example, a mobile device 11-1, an in-vehicle device 11-3, a television set 11-4, a digital camera 11-5, a CE (Consumer Electronics) device 11-6, a signboard 11-7, and the like.

[0368] The mobile device 11-1 includes a smartphone, a tablet, a notebook PC (Personal Computer), etc. The wearable device 11-2 includes an eyewear or contact lens type terminal, a wristwatch type terminal, a bracelet type terminal, a finger ring type terminal, a headset, a clothing-attached or clothing-integrated terminal, a shoe-attached or shoe-integrated terminal, a necklace type terminal, etc.

[0369] The in-vehicle devices 11-3 include the wearable devices 11-2, car navigation systems, rear seat entertainment systems, etc. The CE devices 11-6 include recorders, game consoles, air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, desktop PCs, etc. The signboards 11-7 include devices including sensors attached to robotic devices and facilities, or digital signboards (digital signage) installed on the street.

[0370] These information processing devices 11 (terminal devices) communicate with an information processing device 12 (server) via a network. The network between the terminal devices and the server corresponds to interface 150B, interface 160B, or interface 170B in the above example. Furthermore, these devices may operate in cooperation with each other individually, or a system may be constructed in which all devices can operate in cooperation with each other.

[0371] Note that the example shown in FIG. 39 is provided to facilitate understanding of an example in which system 10 is realized in a client-server system, and as explained in each of the above examples, system 10 is not limited to such a client-server system.

[0372] That is, for example, both of the information processing devices 11 and 12 may be terminal devices, or both of the information processing devices 11 and 12 may be servers. When the information processing device 11 includes information processing devices 11A and 11B, one of the information processing devices 11A and 11B may be a terminal device and the other may be a server.

[0373] Furthermore, even when the information processing device 11 is a terminal device, examples of the terminal device are not limited to the above-mentioned terminal devices 11-1 to 11-7, and may include other types of terminal devices.

[0374] (Hardware configuration) Next, a hardware configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 40. Fig. 40 is a block diagram illustrating an example hardware configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0375] The information processing device 900 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 903, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 905. The information processing device 900 may also include a host bus 907, a bridge 909, an external bus 911, an interface 913, an input device 915, an output device 917, a storage device 919, a drive 921, a connection port 923, and a communication device 925.

[0376] Furthermore, the information processing device 900 may include an imaging device 933 and a sensor 935, as necessary. The information processing device 900 may have a processing circuit such as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) instead of or in addition to the CPU 901.

[0377] The CPU 901 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, and controls all or part of the operations within the information processing device 900 in accordance with various programs recorded in the ROM 903 , the RAM 905 , the storage device 919 , or the removable recording medium 927 .

[0378] The ROM 903 stores programs and calculation parameters used by the CPU 901. The RAM 905 temporarily stores programs used by the CPU 901 during execution, parameters that change as appropriate during execution, and the like. The CPU 901, ROM 903, and RAM 905 are interconnected by a host bus 907 that is configured from an internal bus such as a CPU bus. Furthermore, the host bus 907 is connected to an external bus 911 such as a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect / Interface) bus via a bridge 909.

[0379] The input device 915 is a device operated by a user, such as a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, a button, a switch, a lever, etc. The input device 915 may be, for example, a remote control device that uses infrared rays or other radio waves, or an externally connected device 929 such as a mobile phone that is compatible with the operation of the information processing device 900.

[0380] The input device 915 includes an input control circuit that generates an input signal based on information input by the user and outputs the signal to the CPU 901. The user operates the input device 915 to input various data to the information processing device 900 and to instruct the information processing device 900 to perform processing operations.

[0381] The output device 917 is configured with a device capable of notifying the user of acquired information using senses such as sight, hearing, and touch. The output device 917 may be, for example, a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, an audio output device such as a speaker or headphones, or a vibrator. The output device 917 outputs the results obtained by processing by the information processing device 900 as video such as text or images, sound such as voice or audio, or vibration.

[0382] The storage device 919 is a data storage device configured as an example of a storage unit of the information processing device 900. The storage device 919 is configured, for example, by a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a semiconductor storage device, an optical storage device, or a magneto-optical storage device. The storage device 919 stores, for example, programs and various data executed by the CPU 901, and various data acquired from the outside.

[0383] The drive 921 is a reader / writer for a removable recording medium 927 such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, and is built into or externally attached to the information processing device 900. The drive 921 reads information recorded on the attached removable recording medium 927 and outputs the information to the RAM 905. The drive 921 also writes information to the attached removable recording medium 927.

[0384] The connection port 923 is a port for connecting a device to the information processing device 900. The connection port 923 may be, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, an IEEE 1394 port, or a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) port.

[0385] Furthermore, the connection port 923 may be an RS-232C port, an optical audio terminal, an HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) port, etc. By connecting an external connection device 929 to the connection port 923, various types of data can be exchanged between the information processing device 900 and the external connection device 929.

[0386] The communication device 925 is, for example, a communication interface configured with a communication device for connecting to the communication network 931. The communication device 925 can be, for example, a communication card for a LAN (Local Area Network), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi, or WUSB (Wireless USB).

[0387] The communication device 925 may also be a router for optical communication, a router for ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), or a modem for various types of communication. The communication device 925 transmits and receives signals between the Internet and other communication devices using a predetermined protocol such as TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol).

[0388] Furthermore, the communication network 931 connected to the communication device 925 is a wired or wirelessly connected network, and may include, for example, the Internet, a home LAN, infrared communication, radio wave communication, or satellite communication.

[0389] The imaging device 933 is a device that captures an image of a real space using an imaging element such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), and various components such as a lens for controlling the formation of a subject image on the imaging element, and generates a captured image. The imaging device 933 may capture a still image or a moving image.

[0390] The sensor 935 is, for example, one of various sensors such as an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, an illuminance sensor, a temperature sensor, an air pressure sensor, or a sound sensor (microphone).

[0391] The sensor 935 acquires information about the state of the information processing device 900 itself, such as the attitude of the housing of the information processing device 900, and information about the surrounding environment of the information processing device 900, such as the brightness and noise around the information processing device 900. The sensor 935 may also include a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver that receives a GPS signal and measures the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the device.

[0392] The above describes an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 900. Each of the above-described components may be configured using general-purpose components, or may be configured using hardware specialized for the function of each component. Such a configuration may be changed as appropriate depending on the technical level at the time of implementation.

[0393] In the present disclosure, the processing performed by a computer according to a program does not necessarily have to be performed chronologically in the order described in the flowchart. That is, the processing performed by a computer according to a program also includes processing executed in parallel or individually (for example, parallel processing or object-based processing). Furthermore, the program may be processed by a single computer (processor), or may be processed in a distributed manner by multiple computers.

[0394] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present technology are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present technology.

[0395] The present technology can also be configured as follows.

[0396] (1) generating identification information for identifying the device itself as a candidate screen sharing device based on a message transmitted from the screen sharing source device; providing device information relating to the own device to the sharing source device; Output the generated identification information Equipped with a processing unit Information processing device. (2) The device information includes information related to the identification information. The information processing device according to (1) above. (3) The processing unit Controlling the display of the generated identification information; The identification information generated based on the device information is provided to the sharing source device. The information processing device according to (2) above. (4) The identification information includes an image, text, or code. The information processing device according to (3) above. (5) The identification information corresponds to an image displayed on the display of the sharing source device. The information processing device according to (4) above. (6) Further comprising a display unit, the processing unit controls the display of the identification information on the display unit; The identification information is displayed on the display of the sharing source device. The information processing device according to (4) above. (7) The processing unit Generate a two-dimensional code that identifies the device; Controlling the display of the generated two-dimensional code; The device information including information about the two-dimensional code is provided to the sharing source device. The information processing device according to any one of (2) to (6). (8) The processing unit generating information about a sound or light that identifies the device itself; Controlling the output of the sound or the light; The device information including information about the sound or the light is provided to the sharing source device. The information processing device according to any one of (2) to (7). (9) The processing unit generating information relating to a sound or image that identifies the device itself; Controlling the output of the sound or the display of the image; The device information including information about the sound or the image is provided to the sharing source device. The information processing device according to any one of (2) to (8). (10) The device information includes information about the identification information corresponding to a plurality of methods. The information processing device according to any one of (2) to (9). (11) The information processing device generating identification information for identifying the device itself as a candidate screen sharing device based on a message transmitted from the screen sharing source device; providing device information relating to the own device to the sharing source device; Output the generated identification information Information processing methods. (12) Acquire device information regarding candidate devices for screen sharing; acquiring identification information for identifying the candidate sharing device; A target device to be used for screen sharing is determined from among the plurality of candidate devices based on the acquired device information and identification information. Equipped with a processing unit Information processing device. (13) The device information includes information related to the identification information. The information processing device according to (12) above. (14) The processing unit acquiring the identification information based on the acquired device information; Controlling the display of the acquired identification information; In response to a user's operation, the shared device corresponding to the displayed identification information is determined. The information processing device according to (13) above. (15) The identification information includes an image, text, or code. The information processing device according to (14) above. (16) The identification information corresponds to an image displayed on the display of the target device. The information processing device according to (15) above. (17) The processing unit Controlling the reading of the two-dimensional code displayed on the candidate sharing device in response to a user operation; The sharing target device is determined based on the read two-dimensional code and the device information. The information processing device according to any one of (13) to (16). (18) The processing unit Controlling detection of a physical quantity related to sound or light output from the sharing candidate device; The shared device is determined based on the detected pattern of the physical quantity and the device information. The information processing device according to any one of (13) to (17). (19) The processing unit extracting a fingerprint from the sound or image output from the candidate sharing device; The sharing target device is determined based on the extracted fingerprint and the device information. The information processing device according to any one of (13) to (18). (20) the device information includes information about the identification information corresponding to a plurality of methods, The processing unit determines the sharing target device according to a specific method specified by the device information. The information processing device according to any one of (13) to (19). [Explanation of symbols]

[0397] 1 Content playback system, 10 Information device, 20, 20-1 to 20-N Display device, 21 Remote controller, 30 Router, 40, 40-1 to 40-M Distribution server, 50 Sending device, 80 Network, 90 Network, 100 Processing unit, 101 Input unit, 102 Output unit, 103 Memory, 104 Storage unit, 105 Communication unit, 106 Sensor, 107 Camera, 108 Power supply unit, 111 Button, 112 Microphone, 121 Display, 122 Speaker, 131 Device information acquisition unit, 132 Identification information acquisition unit, 133 Shared device determination unit, 134 Presentation control unit, 135 Communication control unit, 200 Processing unit, 201 Tuner, 202 Signal input unit 203 data processing unit, 204 display, 205 speaker, 206 communication unit, 207 operation reception unit, 208 output unit, 231 device information providing unit, 232 identification information generating unit, 233 output control unit, 234 communication control unit, 901 CPU

Claims

1. generating identification information for identifying the device itself as a candidate screen sharing device based on a message transmitted from the screen sharing source device; providing device information about the own device to the sharing source device, and displaying the name of the own device, the content to be shared, and an image to be displayed on the own device on a selection screen of the sharing source device based on the device information; Output the generated identification information Equipped with a processing unit Information processing device.

2. The device information includes information related to the identification information. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The processing unit Controlling the display of the generated identification information; The identification information generated based on the device information is provided to the sharing source device. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The identification information includes an image, text, or code. The information processing device according to claim 3 .

5. The identification information corresponds to an image displayed on the display of the sharing source device. The information processing device according to claim 4 .

6. Further comprising a display unit, the processing unit controls the display of the identification information on the display unit; The identification information is displayed on the display of the sharing source device. The information processing device according to claim 4 .

7. The processing unit generating a two-dimensional code for identifying the device itself; Controlling the display of the generated two-dimensional code; The device information including the information about the two-dimensional code is provided to the sharing source device. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

8. The processing unit generating information about a sound or light that identifies the device itself; Controlling the output of the sound or the light; The device information including information about the sound or the light is provided to the sharing source device. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

9. The processing unit generating information relating to a sound or image that identifies the device itself; Controlling the output of the sound or the display of the image; The device information including information about the sound or the image is provided to the sharing source device. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

10. The device information includes information about the identification information corresponding to a plurality of methods. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

11. The information processing device generating identification information for identifying the device itself as a candidate screen sharing device based on a message transmitted from the screen sharing source device; providing device information about the own device to the sharing source device, and displaying the name of the own device, the content to be shared, and an image to be displayed on the own device on a selection screen of the sharing source device based on the device information; Output the generated identification information Information processing methods.

12. Send a message to search for candidate devices for screen sharing, acquiring device information regarding the candidate sharing devices from the candidate sharing devices; Based on the acquired device information, the names of the candidate sharing devices are displayed on a selection screen, along with the content to be shared and an image displayed on the candidate sharing device. Equipped with a processing unit Information processing device.

13. The device information includes information related to identification information for identifying the candidate sharing device. The information processing device according to claim 12.

14. The processing unit controls the display of the identification information. The information processing device according to claim 13.

15. The identification information includes an image, text, or code. The information processing device according to claim 14.

16. The identification information corresponds to an image displayed on the display of the candidate sharing device. The information processing device according to claim 15.

17. Further comprising a display unit, the processing unit controls the display of the identification information on the display unit; The identification information is displayed on a display of the candidate sharing device. The information processing device according to claim 14.

18. The processing unit acquiring a two-dimensional code identifying the sharing candidate device from the sharing candidate device; The candidate sharing device for screen sharing is determined based on the two-dimensional code. The information processing device according to claim 13.

19. The processing unit acquiring information about a sound or light that identifies the candidate sharing device; detecting the sound or the light output from the sharing candidate device; The candidate sharing device to be the target of screen sharing is determined based on the detected sound or light. The information processing device according to claim 13.

20. The processing unit acquiring information about a sound or an image that identifies the candidate sharing device; extracting information from the captured sound or image; Based on the extracted information, the candidate sharing devices to be used for screen sharing are determined. The information processing device according to claim 13.

21. The device information includes information about the identification information corresponding to a plurality of methods. The information processing device according to claim 13.

22. The information processing device Send a message to search for candidate devices for screen sharing, acquiring device information regarding the candidate sharing devices from the candidate sharing devices; Based on the acquired device information, the names of the candidate sharing devices are displayed on a selection screen, along with the content to be shared and an image displayed on the candidate sharing device. Information processing methods.

23. The sharing candidate device is a display device.

23. The information processing method according to claim 22.

24. A candidate sharing device to be a target for screen sharing is determined from among the plurality of candidate sharing devices based on the device information and identification information that identifies the candidate sharing device.

23. The information processing method according to claim 22.

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