Video distribution device, display control device, video distribution system, video distribution method and program

Abstract

To solve the problem in which: when a user is not skilled in operation to select a display method of a plurality of videos, the user cannot sufficiently enjoy merits in displaying the plurality of videos.SOLUTION: A moving image distribution device of the present invention is a moving image distribution device that distributes moving images to a plurality of display control units, and comprises: acquisition means that acquires a plurality of moving images created by performing simultaneous imaging by using a plurality of imaging apparatuses; distribution means that distributes the plurality of moving images as one set to the plurality of display control units; receiving means that receives, from a first display control unit, display mode information indicating the display mode of the plurality of moving images included in the set; and transmission means that, in response to a request from a second display control unit different from the first display control unit, transmits the display mode information to the second display control unit. The second display control unit displays and plays back the set of plurality of moving images on a screen according to the display mode information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a video distribution device, a display control device, a video distribution system, a video distribution method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, communication bandwidth has expanded, and services that allow multiple videos to be viewed simultaneously exist. Users can freely change the position, size, etc. of the videos displayed simultaneously, allowing them to select various ways of viewing that suit their interests. Patent Document 1 describes a technology that allows a user to select and view any video from multiple videos that are distributed simultaneously. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-33362 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above conventional examples, users are not necessarily familiar with the operation of selecting the display method, i.e., when and how to display and view multiple images, and may not be able to fully enjoy the benefits of being able to display multiple images.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a video distribution device and a video distribution system that allow a user to enjoy the benefit of being able to display multiple videos even if the user is not familiar with the operation of displaying multiple videos. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention employs the following configuration: A video distribution device that distributes videos to a plurality of display control devices, an acquisition means for acquiring a plurality of moving images generated by simultaneously capturing images using a plurality of imaging devices; a distribution means for distributing the plurality of moving images as a set to the plurality of display control devices; Distributed to the first display controller A plurality of videos included in the set How are they arranged and played back by the user of the first display control device? The display mode information indicating the 1 receiving means for receiving the display control device; The above 1 The display control device is different from 2 In response to a request from the display control device of received from the first display control device The display mode information is 2 a transmitting means for transmitting the display control device The above 2 The display control device In this arrangement , the set Included in Multiple videos at the same time This is a video distribution device that displays and plays back on a screen.

[0007] The present invention also employs the following configuration: A display control device, a receiving means for receiving, as a set, a plurality of moving images generated by simultaneously capturing images using a plurality of imaging devices from a moving image distribution device; The plurality of videos at the same time a display / playback means for controlling the display and playback on a screen; In response to a user operation, arrangement A modification means for modifying the A plurality of moving images included in the set How is it arranged and played by the user? a generating means for generating display mode information indicating the and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the generated display mode information to the video distribution device.

[0008] The present invention also employs the following configuration: A display control device, A set of multiple videos created by simultaneously capturing images using multiple imaging devices. receiving means for receiving the video from the video distribution device; The plurality of videos at the same time a display / playback means for controlling the display and playback on a screen; Distributed to other display control devices A plurality of moving images included in the set How are they arranged and played back by the user of the other display control device? a requesting means for requesting the video distribution device for display mode information indicating the an acquisition means for acquiring the requested display mode information; According to the display mode information In this arrangement , the set Included in Multiple videos at the same time Display and play on the screen and a display playback means for controlling the The display control device is characterized by the above.

[0009] The present invention also employs the following configuration: A video distribution system including a video distribution device and a plurality of display control devices, The video distribution device includes: an acquisition means for acquiring a plurality of moving images generated by simultaneously capturing images using a plurality of imaging devices; a distribution means for distributing the plurality of moving images as a set to the plurality of display control devices; The display control device that is distributed to a first display control device among the plurality of display control devices A plurality of moving images included in the set How are they arranged and played back by the user of the first display control device? The display mode information indicating Note 1 receiving means for receiving the display control device; Among the plurality of display control devices, 1 The display control device is different from 2 In response to a request from the display control device of received from the first display control device The display mode information is 2 a transmitting means for transmitting the display control device The display control device The plurality of videos at the same time a display / playback means for controlling the display and playback on a screen; The above 1 The display control device is In response to a user operation, arrangement A modification means for modifying the A plurality of moving images included in the set How is it arranged and played by the user? a generating means for generating display mode information indicating the a transmitting means for transmitting the generated display mode information to the video distribution device; The above 2 The display control device is receiving means for receiving the display mode information from the video distribution device; The second display control device The display playback means performs the display mode information In this arrangement , the set Included in Multiple videos at the same time Display and play on the screen Control The video distribution system is characterized by the above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, when a user watches multiple videos, even if the user is not familiar with the operation of displaying multiple videos, the user can enjoy the benefit of being able to display multiple videos. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a video distribution system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a video distribution device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3A] 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a display control device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3B] 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a display control device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing a video distribution process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a display registration process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing a playback process of the display control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display mode management table according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a video display in the display control device according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Numerical values ​​and other values ​​used to clarify the description are not intended to be limiting unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the configuration of the device to which the present invention is applied and the various configurations of the following embodiments may be modified or changed as appropriate depending on various conditions.

[0013] <Embodiment 1> 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a video distribution system according to a first embodiment. In this embodiment, multiple videos are distributed from a video distribution device 21, and the viewing method (viewing method) for each video in a first display control device 31 is shared with a second display control device 32. A user of the second display control device 32 can display and view multiple videos in the same way as the first display control device 31. This allows a user who is not accustomed to viewing multiple videos simultaneously or who is not familiar with the operation method to enjoy the benefit of being able to display multiple videos simultaneously.

[0014] The video distribution system according to this embodiment includes an image capture device 11, an image capture device 12, a video distribution device 21, a first display control device 31, and a second display control device 32. While FIG. 1 shows two image capture devices and two display control devices as an example, the system configuration is not limited to this and may include more image capture devices and display control devices. Video captured by each image capture device is distributed to each display control device via the video distribution device 21. The devices are connected via any network, and communication may be wired or wireless, and any communication standard may be used.

[0015] The image capturing devices 11 and 12 are image capturing devices that capture video (moving images), such as digital video cameras. The video captured by each image capturing device is, for example, a multi-view video obtained by simultaneously capturing the same location from different directions (orientations). When the multi-view video is displayed and played back, viewers can view the same scene or the same subject from different viewpoints. Alternatively, the video captured by each image capturing device may be, for example, a multi-directional video obtained by simultaneously capturing different directions from the same location. When the multi-directional video is displayed and played back, viewers can view the video from different viewpoints from a single location. The video captured by each image capturing device are transmitted to the video distribution device 21. Each imaging device may transmit the video being captured in real time to the video distribution device 21, or may transmit recorded video.

[0016] The video distribution device 21 receives a set of video data including multiple videos from each imaging device. to first display control device 31 and second display control device 32. Video distribution device 21 transmits the video received from each imaging device in real time. Note that pre-recorded video may also be transmitted. Furthermore, video distribution device 21 may distribute the video distributed in real time so that it can be viewed even after the real-time distribution.

[0017] The video distribution device 21 also has a function of transmitting and receiving display mode information, which is information relating to the display mode of the multiple videos included in one set in each display control device, and sharing the viewing method of the multiple videos among multiple devices. The display mode information is information that indicates how each frame of each of the multiple videos is displayed and played on each of the multiple devices. The display mode information includes whether each of the multiple videos is displayed or not, its display position on the screen, the size at which it is displayed on the screen, the range at which it is displayed (display angle of view), and the chronological order of overlap with other videos. The display mode information includes at least one of the following: (overlapping order), device identification information, and playback speed. The display mode information also includes video identification information for identifying a corresponding set of videos. When one video is displayed full screen, the display mode information may store data indicating that "the video is displayed full screen and the remaining videos are not displayed." Furthermore, when one video is displayed full screen, the display mode information may store data indicating that "the video is displayed full screen and in the foreground." Furthermore, the display mode information does not need to store data indicating the display mode of all of the multiple videos included in a set, but it is sufficient to store data indicating the display mode of at least one of the multiple videos included in a set.

[0018] The first display control device 31 and the second display control device 32 are devices (electronic devices) that are connected to the video distribution device and can simultaneously display multiple videos included in one set received from the video distribution device 21. Each device is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a mobile computer, a television, etc. Each device controls the display level of each video included in one set. The layout (the range of each video displayed, the display position of each video on the screen, the size at which each video is displayed on the screen, whether each video is displayed or not, etc.) can be changed. Each device may also be able to change the playback speed of each video. In this embodiment, first display control device 31 corresponds to the "first electronic device" and will be described as a device that transmits display mode information to video distribution device 21. Second display control device 32 corresponds to the "second electronic device" and will be described as a device that references the viewing method of multiple videos on other devices. Note that one device may have both the function of transmitting display mode information and the function of receiving and referring to display mode information from other devices.

[0019] 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of video distribution device 21 according to this embodiment. Connected to internal bus 150 are CPU 101, memory 102, nonvolatile memory 103, display 104, operation unit 105, recording medium I / F 106, external I / F 108, communication I / F 109, and audio output unit 111. Each component can exchange data with each other via internal bus 150.

[0020] CPU 101 is a control unit that controls the entire video distribution device 21, and has at least one processor or circuit. CPU 101 controls each unit of video distribution device 21 in accordance with a program stored in nonvolatile memory 103, using memory 102 as a work memory.

[0021] The memory 102 is a work memory used for temporary storage by the CPU 101, and is, for example, a RAM.

[0022] The nonvolatile memory 103 stores image data, audio data, various programs for operating the CPU 101, etc. The nonvolatile memory 103 may be, for example, a flash memory or a ROM.

[0023] Display 104 is a display unit that displays images, GUI screens that constitute a GUI (Graphical User Interface), and the like, based on the control of CPU 101. Note that video distribution device 21 itself may only have an interface for outputting a video signal to be displayed on display 104, and display 104 may be configured as an external monitor (such as a television).

[0024] The operation unit 105 is an input device for receiving user operations and includes, for example, a character information input device such as a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse or a touch panel, a button, a dial, a joystick, a touch sensor, a touch panel, and the like.

[0025] The recording medium I / F 106 reads data from the recording medium 107 and writes data to the recording medium 107 under the control of the CPU 101 .

[0026] Recording medium (recording unit) 107 records data such as video data distributed by video distribution device 21 and display mode information for each device. Recording medium 107 may be, for example, a memory card, CD, DVD, or HDD.

[0027] The external I / F 108 is an interface for connecting to an external device via a wired cable or wirelessly, and for inputting and outputting video signals and audio signals.

[0028] The communication I / F 109 is an interface for communicating with external devices, the Internet 110, etc., and transmitting and receiving various data such as files and commands.

[0029] The audio output unit 111 outputs audio from video and music data, operation sounds, ringtones, various notification sounds, etc. The audio output unit 111 includes an audio output terminal 111a for connecting earphones or the like, and a speaker 111b. Audio may also be output using a device connected via wireless communication.

[0030] FIG. 3A is an external view of the first display control device 31. The display 205 is a display unit that displays videos, images, and various information received from the video distribution device 21. The display 205 is integrally configured with a touch panel 206a, and is capable of detecting touch operations on the display surface of the display 205. As shown in the figure, the operation unit 206 includes the touch panel 206a and operation units 206b, 206c, 206d, and 206e. The operation unit 206b is a power button that accepts operations to turn the power of the first display control device 31 on and off. The operation units 206c and 206d are volume buttons that increase and decrease the volume of the audio output from the audio output unit 222. The operation unit 206e is a home button for displaying a home screen on the display 205. The audio output terminal 212a is an earphone jack and is a terminal that outputs audio to earphones, an external speaker, or the like. The speaker 212b is a built-in speaker that produces audio.

[0031] Here, the CPU 201 can detect the following operations or states on the touch panel 206a.

[0032] A finger or pen that has not been touching the touch panel 206a touches the touch panel 206a again, that is, the start of touching (hereinafter referred to as touch-down). The touch panel 206a is in a state where a finger or a pen is touching the touch panel 206a (hereinafter referred to as Touch-On). A finger or pen is moved while touching the touch panel 206a (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Move). The finger or pen that was touching the touch panel 206a is removed from the touch panel 206a, that is, the end of touch (hereinafter referred to as touch-up). A state in which nothing is touching the touch panel 206a (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Off)

[0033] When a touch-down is detected, a touch-on is also detected at the same time. After a touch-down, a touch-on will normally continue to be detected unless a touch-up is detected. If a touch-move is detected, a touch-on will also be detected at the same time. Even if a touch-on is detected, a touch-move will not be detected unless the touch position moves. All fingers and When a pen touch-up is detected, a touch-off is detected.

[0034] These operation states and the position coordinates of the finger or pen touching the touch panel 206a are notified to the CPU 201 via the internal bus, and the CPU 201 determines what kind of operation (touch operation) has been performed on the touch panel 206a based on the notified information. Regarding touch-move, the movement direction of the finger or pen moving on the touch panel 206a can also be determined for each vertical and horizontal component on the touch panel 206a based on changes in the position coordinates. If a touch-move of a predetermined distance or more is detected, it is determined that a slide operation has been performed. An operation in which a finger is touched on the touch panel 206a, moved quickly for a certain distance, and then released is called a flick. In other words, a flick is an operation in which a finger is quickly traced across the touch panel 206a as if flicking it. If a touch-move of a predetermined distance or more at a predetermined speed or more is detected and a touch-up is then detected, it can be determined that a flick has been performed (it can be determined that a flick occurred following a slide operation). Furthermore, a touch operation in which multiple points (for example, two points) are touched simultaneously and the touch positions are brought closer together is called a pinch in, and a touch operation in which the touch positions are moved farther apart is called a pinch out. Pinch out and pinch in are collectively called a pinch operation (or simply pinch). The touch panel 206a may be of any of various types, such as a resistive film type, a capacitance type, a surface acoustic wave type, an infrared type, an electromagnetic induction type, an image recognition type, or an optical sensor type. There are types that detect a touch by contact with the touch panel, and types that detect a touch by the approach of a finger or a pen to the touch panel, and either type is acceptable.

[0035] 3B is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the first display control device 31 according to this embodiment. Connected to an internal bus 250 are a CPU 201, memory 202, nonvolatile memory 203, image processing unit 204, display 205, operation unit 206, recording medium I / F 207, external I / F 209, communication I / F 210, and audio output unit 212. Here, the configuration common to the video distribution device and the configuration described in the above external view will be omitted, and only the image processing unit 204 will be described.

[0036] Under the control of the CPU 201, the image processing unit 204 performs various image processing operations on images stored in the nonvolatile memory 203 or the recording medium 208, video signals acquired via the external I / F 209, and images acquired via the communication I / F 210. The image processing operations performed by the image processing unit 204 include A / D conversion, D / A conversion, image data encoding, compression, decoding, enlargement / reduction (resizing), noise reduction, and color conversion. The image processing unit 204 may be configured as a dedicated circuit block for performing specific image processing operations. Alternatively, depending on the type of image processing, the CPU 201 may perform image processing according to a program without using the image processing unit 204. The second display control device 32 also has a hardware configuration similar to that of the first display control device 31. Hereinafter, the configuration of FIG. 3 will be referred to as the configuration of the second display control device 32 as appropriate.

[0037] (Video distribution processing) 4 is a flowchart related to the video distribution device 21 in this embodiment. Hereinafter, the process of distributing multiple videos and the process of sharing a viewing method by the video distribution device 21 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0038] In step S401, CPU 101 acquires video data stored in recording medium 107 via recording medium I / F 106, and starts distributing the video data to each device including first display control device 31 and second display control device 32. In this embodiment, CPU 101 also functions as a video distribution unit that distributes a set of multiple videos simultaneously captured by multiple imaging devices. The multiple videos included in one set are associated with one common piece of video identification information, The multiple videos are distributed together with the video identification information.

[0039] In step S402, CPU 101 determines whether or not it has received display mode information, which is information regarding the display mode for each predetermined frame of each of the multiple videos included in a set, from any of the destination devices. In this embodiment, CPU 101 also functions as a display mode information acquisition unit that acquires display mode information. If display mode information has been received, the process proceeds to step S403; if not, the process proceeds to step S404. Note that, as an example, this embodiment describes processing when display mode information is received from first display control device 31, but the device from which video distribution device 21 receives display mode information is not limited to first display control device 31. Furthermore, the number of devices from which video distribution device 21 can receive display mode information is not limited to one, but may be multiple, and display mode information may be received from multiple devices.

[0040] The display mode information includes at least one of the following: whether each of the multiple videos is displayed or not, its display position on the screen, its size on the screen, its range on the screen, its overlapping relationship with other videos, device identification information (identification information of the electronic device), and playback speed. The device identification information is assigned to each device that the video distribution device 21 receives, and is used to identify the device.

[0041] In step S403, CPU 101 associates the device identification information with the display mode information for each device (each electronic device) received in step S402, and records them on recording medium 107. That is, in this embodiment, recording medium 107 also functions as a recording unit that records the display mode information acquired by the display mode information acquisition unit (CPU 101). Here, the recording unit (recording medium 107) preferably records the display mode information in association with a base frame for managing a set of multiple videos. In this embodiment, the storage unit stores the display mode information in association with a time code value indicating the elapsed time of the video distributed by video distribution device 21. Note that the base frame is not limited to this, and for example, the number of frames of a predetermined video among the multiple videos may be used. Furthermore, the number of frames of an independent frame (I frame) that is generated by intra-frame coding processing and does not require information of other video frames when decoding may be used as the base frame. In this way, the number of frames of an independent frame (I frame) that is generated by intra-frame coding processing and does not require information of other video frames when decoding may be used as the base frame. By recording the information related to the playback speed and the display mode information in association with each other, it is possible to record information about frames whose playback speed has been changed or frames that are being repeatedly viewed on each device. The display mode information may also include data indicating the preferences of the device user (such as which subject in the video the user is paying attention to, what part of the video the user is interested in, etc.).

[0042] FIG. 7 is a display mode management table showing an example of display mode information recorded on recording medium 107. The display mode management table has fields 701 to 709. Field 701 stores a time code for managing multiple videos. The time code value is expressed in units of "hour / minute / second / frame." Field 702 stores the number of frames of each video. Field 703 stores an overlapping order indicating the chronological relationship (order) of each video. Here, a smaller overlapping order value indicates that the video is displayed in the foreground. Field 704 stores the display / hide status of each video. Field 705 stores a display position indicating the position on the screen of the display where each video is displayed. Here, the display position is indicated by the coordinates of the upper left corner of each video on the screen. Note that the display position may be indicated using the coordinates of the center of each video or other coordinates. Field 706 stores a value indicating the size at which each video is displayed on the screen. Here, the size of each video is indicated by width and height. The size of each image may be indicated by other values, for example, by the upper left and lower right coordinates of each image. Fields 707 and 708 store information on the display angle of view, which indicates which range of each image is displayed on the screen. Field 707 stores the position of the range of each image that is displayed on the screen. Here, the position of the range of each image that is displayed on the screen is indicated by the upper left coordinates of the displayed range. Field 708 stores the size of each video to be displayed on the screen. Note that, like fields 705 and 706, the values ​​stored in fields 707 and 708 may be different. Field 709 stores device identification information that can identify each device. The device identification information may be, for example, a MAC address, but other information such as an account name on the Internet or a device serial number may also be used. Video distribution device 21 records this display mode information received from each device on recording medium 107.

[0043] In step S404, CPU 101 determines whether or not a request to acquire a list of other devices that share display mode information has been received from second display control device 32. In this embodiment, CPU 101 also serves as an acquisition request receiving unit that receives a request to acquire display mode information. If a request has been received, the process proceeds to step S405; if not, the process proceeds to step S406.

[0044] In step S405, CPU 101 acquires the identification information of the device that received the display mode information stored in recording medium 107, creates a list of the devices, and records the list in memory .

[0045] In step S406, CPU 101 obtains the list of devices recorded in step S405 from memory 102 and transmits it to second display control device 32 via communication I / F 109. That is, in this embodiment, CPU 101 also functions as an information transmission unit that transmits the identification information recorded in the recording unit to second electronic device (second display control device 32). Here, the list that is transmitted may include, in addition to the identification information of the device that received the display mode information, evaluation information by other users who have taken into consideration the display mode information of multiple videos. The evaluation information may be, for example, the number of users (second electronic device) who have taken into consideration the viewing method of the device. Alternatively, the number of times that each display mode information is selected from the list and an acquisition request is received may be counted, and the count may be used as the evaluation information. The evaluation information may also use an index indicating the level of favorability, such as the number of high ratings or scores, given by users who have used the display mode information as a reference. The device identification information may also be selected so that the list to be sent includes the top multiple users with high ratings. This allows the user of the second display control device 32 to more easily select device identification information that is useful as a reference.

[0046] In step S407, CPU 101 determines whether or not a request to acquire display mode information for a device specified in the list has been received from second display control device 32 connected via communication I / F 109. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which first display control device 31 is specified and the acquisition request includes identification information for first display control device 31. If an acquisition request has been received, the process proceeds to step S408; if not, the video distribution process ends.

[0047] In step S408, CPU 101 transmits display mode information of first display control device 31 to second display control device 32 via communication I / F 109. In this way, the information transmission unit (CPU 101) may transmit display mode information in response to an acquisition request. In this embodiment, the information transmission unit transmits display mode information of the electronic device corresponding to the identification information included in the acquisition request to second display control device 32. The display mode information transmitted here may include, for example, information that reproduces the display mode in first display control device 31 for the current frame being viewed by second display control device 32. Note that the display mode information may include display mode information not only for the current frame but also for previous and future frames. This allows the user of second display control device 32 to view multiple videos in the same way as first display control device 31. Furthermore, for example, the display mode information transmitted in step S408 may include a preview image showing the layout of multiple videos associated with the time when the layout was changed. This may include information on the list display, allowing the user of second display control device 32 to know in advance when and how the display will be performed.

[0048] (Display mode information registration process) FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a display registration process for transmitting, to the video distribution device 21, display mode information of the first display control device 31 (first electronic device) capable of simultaneously displaying a plurality of videos.

[0049] In step S501, the CPU 201 performs initialization processing, which includes disabling the sharing setting of the display mode information and initializing the display mode.

[0050] In step S502, the CPU 201 receives a plurality of videos from the video distribution device 21 via the communication I / F 210. In this embodiment, the CPU 201 also functions as a video receiving unit that receives a plurality of videos.

[0051] In step S503, CPU 201 plays back the multiple videos received in step S502. The multiple videos are displayed on display 205 (display unit) using the initial values ​​of first display control device 31.

[0052] CPU 201 changes the display mode of the video in response to, for example, a user operation on operation unit 206 (an operation to change the display mode of the video). In step S504, CPU 201 determines whether an operation to change the display mode of the video has been performed. In this embodiment, CPU 201 also functions as a display control unit that can simultaneously display multiple videos on the display unit and switch the display mode of the multiple videos on the display unit. If a change operation has been performed, the process proceeds to step S505; if a change operation has not been performed, the process proceeds to step S509.

[0053] In step S505, the CPU 201 acquires the sharing setting of the display mode information.

[0054] In step S506, the CPU 201 determines whether the "display mode information sharing setting" acquired in step S505 is valid or invalid. In this embodiment, the operation unit 206 also serves as a sharing setting acceptance unit that accepts the display mode information sharing setting from the user. If the sharing setting is "valid," the process proceeds to step S507; if it is "invalid," the process proceeds to step S509.

[0055] In step S507, CPU 201 acquires display mode information for each frame of the multiple videos acquired in step S502. The display mode information includes at least one of the following: whether each of the multiple videos is displayed or not, its display position on the screen, its size on the screen, its range on the screen (display angle of view), its overlapping relationship with other videos (overlapping order), device identification information, and playback speed. It is preferable that the frames from which display mode information is acquired include frames after the current frame being played back by first display control device 31. It is also possible to acquire display mode information for frames prior to the current frame. In this case, a selection operation may be further set so that display mode information for previous frames can be acquired in response to a user selection.

[0056] In step S508, the CPU 201 transmits the display mode information associated with each frame to the video distribution device 21 via the communication I / F 210. In this embodiment, the CPU 201 also functions as a display mode information transmitting unit that transmits the display mode information to the video distribution device 21. The display mode information transmitted here is preferably information associated with a frame that serves as a base for managing a plurality of videos. In this embodiment, the CPU 201 transmits the display mode information associated with a time code value to the video distribution device 21. Here, the CPU 201 sequentially transmits the display mode information to the video distribution device 21. The CPU 201 transmits the display mode information to the video distribution device 21. The information may be transmitted all at once, or may be transmitted for each predetermined frame. The predetermined frame may be determined based on the elapsed time or the number of I-frames of the received video. In this way, the display mode information transmission unit transmits the display mode information to the video distribution device 21 when the sharing setting acquired in step S506 is valid. This allows the display mode information to be shared with other devices while reflecting the user's intention regarding sharing of the display mode information. Furthermore, a common value may be set for the display mode information for each predetermined frame.

[0057] In step S509, CPU 201 determines whether or not an operation to change the "display mode information sharing setting" has been performed on operation unit 206. If an operation to change the setting has been performed, the process proceeds to step S510; if not, the process proceeds to step S511.

[0058] In step S510, the CPU 201 determines the result of the change in step S509. If the result of the change is "valid", the process proceeds to step S511, and if the result is "invalid", the process proceeds to step S512.

[0059] In step S511, the CPU 201 changes the setting of the "display mode information sharing setting" from "disabled" to "enabled", and then the process proceeds to step S513.

[0060] In step S512, CPU 201 changes the setting of "display mode information sharing setting" from "enabled" to "disabled", and then proceeds to step S513.

[0061] In step S513, the CPU 201 determines whether or not an end operation has been performed on the operation unit 206. If an end operation has been performed, the display mode information registration process ends.

[0062] (Display mode information reception process) FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the playback process of the second display control device 32.

[0063] In step S601, the CPU 201 initializes the display mode in the second display control device.

[0064] In step S602, CPU 201 receives a set of multiple videos from video distribution device 21 via communication I / F 210. That is, in this embodiment, CPU 201 also functions as a video receiving unit that receives multiple videos.

[0065] In step S603, CPU 201 plays back the multiple videos received in step S502. The multiple videos included in one set are displayed on display 205 (display unit) with the initial values ​​of first display control device 31.

[0066] In step S604, the CPU 201 determines whether or not an operation to acquire display mode information of another device has been performed on the operation unit 206. If an operation to acquire display mode information has been performed, the process proceeds to step S605; if not, the process proceeds to step S610.

[0067] In step S605, CPU 201 transmits a request to acquire a list of other devices that share the display mode information to video distribution device 21 via communication I / F 210. That is, in this embodiment, CPU 201 also functions as an acquisition request sending unit that transmits a request to acquire display mode information to video distribution device 21.

[0068] In step S606, the CPU 201 receives a list of other devices that share the display mode information from the video distribution device 21 via the communication I / F 210. In the embodiment, the CPU 201 also functions as an information receiving unit that receives identification information of other devices (electronic devices) from which the video distribution device 21 has acquired display mode information.

[0069] In step S607, the operation unit 206 receives a selection instruction from the user to select one of the identification information items included in the list acquired in step S606. That is, in this embodiment, the operation unit 206 also functions as a selection instruction receiving unit. Here, the list of other devices received in step S606 may be presented to the user by, for example, displaying a list of user names corresponding to the device's identification information on the display 205. The display method is not limited to this; for example, users with a large number of shared users, users with high ratings from other users, or users who have previously been referenced may be prominently displayed. This allows the user to refer to the list when making a selection instruction in step S607. The acquisition request sending unit (CPU 201) sends an acquisition request for display mode information of the device selected by the operation unit 206 to the video distribution device 21 via the communication I / F 210. The transmitted acquisition request includes the identification information accepted by the selection instruction receiving unit. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the first display control device 31 is selected.

[0070] In step S608, the CPU 201 receives the display mode information of the first display control device 31 selected in step S607 from the video distribution device 21 via the communication I / F 210. In this way, the information receiving unit (CPU 201) may receive the display mode information in response to an acquisition request, and in this embodiment, the information receiving unit (CPU 201) receives display mode information of the electronic device corresponding to the identification information included in the acquisition request from the video distribution device 21. The received display mode information includes whether or not multiple videos are displayed (display / non-display), the display position on the screen, the displayed size, the displayed range (display angle of view), the overlapping relationship (overlapping order), and device identification information. Note that the display mode information may include display mode information for frames prior to the current frame being viewed by the second display control device 32, as well as display mode information for frames prior to the reception of the request to acquire the display mode information.

[0071] In step S609, the CPU 201 plays back the multiple videos using the display mode information received in step S608. That is, in this embodiment, the CPU 201 is capable of switching the display mode of the multiple videos and also functions as a display control unit that displays the multiple videos on the display unit based on the display mode information received by the information receiving unit. Here, the display mode of the multiple videos in the second display control device 32 may be controlled, for example, based on the received viewing information so that they are played back in the same display mode as in the first display control device 31. Furthermore, after playback using the display mode information of the first display control device 31 is started, the display mode of the multiple videos may be further changed in response to a user selection operation. Furthermore, after playback in the display mode of a selected device, it may be possible to reselect another device from the list. This allows the user to watch the multiple videos in a display mode more preferred by the user. Note that if the received display mode information includes a frame for which display mode information is not shared, the display mode may be controlled, for example, to maintain the display mode of the immediately preceding frame.

[0072] In step S610, the CPU 201 determines whether or not an end operation has been performed on the operation unit 206. If an end operation has been performed, the playback process ends.

[0073] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of video distributed by the video distribution device 21 and multiple videos displayed on the second display control device 32 in this embodiment. FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) show video 1 and video 2 distributed by the video distribution device 21. FIGS. 8(c) to 8(f) are display examples of images displayed on the second display control device 32 for each time code in FIG. 7. Note that FIGS. 8(c) to 8(f) are merely examples, and the layouts that can be displayed on each device are not limited to these. In the following description, the resolutions of FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) and the resolution of the display 205 of the display control device 32 are each assumed to be 100 x 100.

[0074] 8(c) shows a display example when the time code is "12:34:56:01." Multiple videos distributed from video distribution device 21 are displayed on display 205 of second display control device 32 in accordance with the settings of record 710 in the table of FIG. 7. As can be read from the values ​​of fields 702 to 706, video 1 displays an image with 100 frames in an area of ​​display 205 from coordinates (X, Y) = (0, 0) with a width of 50 and a height of 100. Furthermore, as can be read from the values ​​of fields 707 and 708, of the image with 100 frames, an area of ​​video 1 from coordinates (X, Y) = (0, 0) with a width of 50 and a height of 100 is displayed. Similarly, video 2 is displayed in an area of ​​display 205 with coordinates (X, Y) = (50, 0) of width 50 and height 100, and of the image with 50 frames, an area of ​​video 2 with coordinates (X, Y) = (50, 0) of width 50 and height 100 is displayed.

[0075] FIG. 8(d) shows an example of a display when the time code is "12:34:56:02." In this case, according to the settings in record 711, an image with 101 frames of video 1 and an image with 50 frames of video 2 are displayed on display 205. Here, the smaller the value of the overlapping order in field 703, the more video is displayed in front. Therefore, the overlapping order value for each video is "1" for video 1 and "2" for video 2, so video 1 is displayed in front of video 2. Furthermore, the values ​​in fields 706 and 708 for video 1 indicate that video 1 with a width of 100 and a height of 100 should be displayed in an area of ​​display 205 with a width of 50 and a height of 50. Therefore, video 1 is displayed in a reduced size on display 205.

[0076] 8(e) shows an example of a display when the time code is "12:34:56:03." At this time, in accordance with the settings of record 712, an image with 102 frames of video 1 and an image with 51 frames of video 2 are displayed on display 205. Furthermore, the overlay order values ​​for each video are "2" for video 1 and "1" for video 2, so video 2 is displayed in front of video 1. The values ​​of fields 706 and 708 for video 2 indicate that video 2 with a width of 25 and a height of 25 is to be displayed in an area of ​​display 205 with a width of 50 and a height of 50. Therefore, video 2 is enlarged and displayed on display 205.

[0077] FIG. 8(f) shows an example of the display when the time code is "12:34:56:04." In this case, in accordance with the setting of record 713, field 704 "Display / Hide" of video 2 is set to "Hide." Since "Show" is displayed, only video 1 is displayed on the display 205.

[0078] Furthermore, the values ​​in field 702 for video 1 and video 2 indicate that videos 1 and 2 are played back with different frames and at different frame rates. In this way, the playback speed can be changed and information such as the frames being replayed can be shared.

[0079] As described above, in this embodiment, multiple videos are distributed from a video distribution device, and the viewing method for the multiple videos is shared among devices that can simultaneously display multiple videos. This allows users who are not familiar with the viewing method and operation method for multiple videos to view multiple videos in the same way as other users and enjoy the benefits of being able to display multiple videos.

[0080] <Modification> In this embodiment, the size of each video (FIG. 7, fields 706, 708) is expressed by width and height, but the size may be expressed using other values, such as a combination of the top left coordinate and bottom right coordinate within each video, or a combination of the bottom left coordinate and top right coordinate. Furthermore, the display method for multiple videos is not limited to a rectangle, and they may be displayed in other shapes (circle, ellipse, etc.). Furthermore, the information shared as the display mode information described above is merely exemplary, and other information may also be included. For example, information such as the movement and animation when switching the sizes and arrangements of multiple videos may also be included in the display mode information, and the movement and animation when switching may be controlled so that they are displayed in the same way on other devices.

[0081] <Other embodiments> While the present invention has been described in detail above based on preferred embodiments thereof, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms within the scope of the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. Parts of the above-described embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

[0082] The present invention provides a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments, over a network or The present invention can also be realized by supplying the program to a system or device via a recording medium, and having one or more processors in the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions. Therefore, the program code itself, supplied to and installed on a computer to implement the functional processing of the present invention, also embodies the present invention. In other words, the computer program itself for implementing the functional processing of the present invention is also included in the present invention. In this case, the form of the program is not important, as long as it has the program functionality, such as object code, a program executed by an interpreter, or script data supplied to an OS. Recording media for providing the program may include, for example, a hard disk, a magnetic recording medium such as a magnetic tape, an optical / magneto-optical recording medium, or a non-volatile semiconductor memory. Another possible method for providing the program is to store the computer program forming the present invention on a server on a computer network, and have connected client computers download and program the computer program. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 21: Video distribution device, 31: First display control device, 32: Second display control device, 101: CPU, 107: Recording medium

Claims

1. A video distribution device that distributes videos to a plurality of display control devices, an acquisition means for acquiring a plurality of moving images generated by simultaneously capturing images using a plurality of imaging devices; a distribution means for distributing the plurality of moving images as a set to the plurality of display control devices; a receiving means for receiving, from the first display control device, display mode information indicating how the plurality of moving images included in the set distributed to the first display control device are arranged and played back by a user of the first display control device; a transmitting means for transmitting the display mode information received from the first display control device to a second display control device different from the first display control device in response to a request from the second display control device, The second display control device is a video distribution device characterized in that it displays and plays the plurality of videos included in the set simultaneously on a screen in an arrangement according to the display mode information.

2. 2. The video distribution device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of videos included in the set are generated by capturing images of a predetermined location from different directions using the plurality of imaging devices.

3. 2. The video distribution device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of videos included in the set are generated by capturing images in different directions from a predetermined location using the plurality of imaging devices.

4. The video distribution device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the second display control device requests one of a plurality of pieces of display mode information including the display mode information received from the first display control device, and the transmitting means transmits the requested display mode information to the second display control device.

5. The video distribution device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a counting means for counting the number of times each of a plurality of pieces of display mode information including the display mode information received from the first display control device is requested by the second display control device. 。

6. A video distribution device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the display mode information indicates, for at least one of the multiple videos included in the set, at least one display mode among the display position on the screen, the size displayed on the screen, the range displayed on the screen, and the overlap relationship with other videos.

7. 7. The video distribution device according to claim 6, wherein the display mode information indicates the display mode for each frame of at least one of the plurality of videos included in the set.

8. A display control device, a receiving means for receiving, as a set, a plurality of moving images generated by simultaneously capturing images using a plurality of imaging devices from a moving image distribution device; a display / playback means for controlling the plurality of moving images to be simultaneously displayed on a screen and played back; a change means for changing the arrangement of the plurality of moving images included in the set in response to a user operation; a generating means for generating display mode information indicating how the plurality of moving images included in the set are arranged and played back by the user; A display control device comprising: a transmission means for transmitting the generated display mode information to the video distribution device.

9. A display control device, a receiving means for receiving, as a set, a plurality of moving images generated by simultaneously capturing images using a plurality of imaging devices from a moving image distribution device; a display / playback means for controlling the plurality of moving images to be simultaneously displayed on a screen and played back; a requesting means for requesting, from the video distribution device, display mode information indicating how the plurality of videos included in the set distributed to the other display control device are arranged and played back by a user of the other display control device; an acquisition means for acquiring the requested display mode information; a display playback means for controlling the display and playback of the plurality of moving images included in the set simultaneously on the screen in an arrangement according to the display mode information.

10. A video distribution system including a video distribution device and a plurality of display control devices, The video distribution device includes: an acquisition means for acquiring a plurality of moving images generated by simultaneously capturing images using a plurality of imaging devices; a distribution means for distributing the plurality of moving images as a set to the plurality of display control devices; a receiving means for receiving, from a first display control device among the plurality of display control devices, display mode information indicating how the plurality of videos included in the set distributed to the first display control device are arranged and played back by a user of the first display control device; a transmitting means for transmitting the display mode information received from the first display control device to the second display control device in response to a request from the second display control device, the second display control device being different from the first display control device, among the plurality of display control devices; The display control device includes: a display / playback means for controlling the plurality of moving images to be simultaneously displayed and played back on a screen; The first display control device a change means for changing the arrangement of the plurality of moving images included in the set in response to a user operation; How the plurality of videos included in the set are arranged and played by the user a generating means for generating display mode information indicating whether the a transmitting means for transmitting the generated display mode information to the video distribution device; The second display control device receiving means for receiving the display mode information from the video distribution device; The display playback means of the second display control device controls the display and playback of the plurality of moving images included in the set on a screen at the same time in an arrangement according to the display mode information. A video distribution system characterized by:

11. A video distribution method for distributing video to a plurality of display control devices, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring a plurality of moving images generated by simultaneously capturing images using a plurality of imaging devices; a distribution step of distributing the plurality of moving images as a set to a plurality of display control devices; a receiving step of receiving, from the first display control device, display mode information indicating how the plurality of videos included in the set distributed to the first display control device are arranged and played back by a user of the first display control device; a transmitting step of transmitting the display mode information received from the first display control device to a second display control device different from the first display control device in response to a request from the second display control device, A video distribution method characterized in that the second display control device simultaneously displays and plays the multiple videos included in the set on the screen in an arrangement according to the display mode information.

12. A control method for a display control device, comprising: a receiving step of receiving, as a set, a plurality of moving images generated by simultaneously capturing images using a plurality of imaging devices from a moving image distribution device; a display / playback step of controlling the plurality of moving images to be simultaneously displayed and played on a screen; a changing step of changing the arrangement of the plurality of moving images included in the set in response to a user operation; a generating step of generating display mode information indicating how the plurality of moving images included in the set are arranged and played by the user; a transmitting step of transmitting the generated display mode information to the video distribution device.

13. A control method for a display control device, comprising: a receiving step of receiving, as a set, a plurality of moving images generated by simultaneously capturing images using a plurality of imaging devices from a moving image distribution device; a display / playback step of controlling the plurality of moving images to be simultaneously displayed and played on a screen; a request step of requesting, from the video distribution device, display mode information indicating how the plurality of videos included in the set distributed to the other display control device are arranged and played back by a user of the other display control device; an acquisition step of acquiring the requested display mode information; a display playback step of controlling the display control device so that the plurality of moving images included in the set are simultaneously displayed and played on the screen in an arrangement according to the display mode information.

14. A program for causing a computer to execute each step of the video distribution method according to claim 11.

15. A program for causing a computer to execute each step of the control method for a display control device according to claim 12.

16. A program for causing a computer to execute each step of the control method for a display control device according to claim 13.

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