Display control device, display control method, and display control program

Abstract

To facilitate identification of an instrument where a failure occurs in a system by an IP.SOLUTION: A display control device causes display means to display a screen including a connection state display image indicating a connection state between a former stage instrument and a plurality of latter stage instruments. The connection state display image includes a first screen item indicating the former stage instrument and a second screen item indicating the latter stage instruments. When the former stage instrument outputs an alarm, the first screen item is displayed in a display mode different from a case where the alarm is not output. When the latter stage instrument outputs the alarm, the second screen item is displayed in a display mode different from a case where the alarm is not output.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present invention relates to a display control apparatus, a display control method, and a display control program. [[Background Art]]

[0002] A broadcast master transmission system is a system for transmitting programs at a predetermined timing based on date and time. The broadcast master transmission system transmits broadcast material input from a source device to a transmitting station or the like via an output destination device.

[0003] Note that broadcast material is information corresponding to broadcast content including, for example, video, audio, auxiliary data, and the like. Further, the source device is a device that receives broadcast material from, for example, a material bank, an editing device, a camera used outdoors, or the like. Further, the output destination device is a device that transmits broadcast material to, for example, a transmitting station, a material bank, or the like.

[0004] In conventional broadcast master transmission systems, broadcast material has been transmitted as a broadcast-specific signal format called SDI (Serial Digital Interface). In alarm display for a system built on an SDI basis, an alarm message indicating a device in which an alarm has occurred with a character string is displayed on an operation status display (Fig. 15) or a rack display (Fig. 16) in which a system diagram is simply displayed. Further, a box indicating the device corresponding to the alarm message is illuminated.

[0005] On the other hand, with the development of IP (Internet Protocol) technology, the construction of systems using IP-based communication networks has been promoted in broadcasting stations. By adopting an IP-based network architecture, it is possible to construct a high-speed, large-capacity communication network at low cost using IP-based communication devices such as general-purpose routers and switches, for example (Patent Document 1). [[Prior Art Documents]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-102695 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] In SDI systems, there is a one-to-one correspondence between input and output devices, making it easy to identify the device experiencing a malfunction.

[0008] On the other hand, in IP-based systems, the data flow between upstream devices such as input devices and downstream devices such as output devices changes dynamically depending on program scheduling and other factors. Furthermore, alarms in downstream devices are affected by the failure status of upstream devices. In other words, even if a downstream device is in an alarm state, the failure may actually be in the upstream device, not the downstream device. Therefore, if alarms for each device are monitored and displayed independently, it can be difficult to identify the device that is actually experiencing the failure, even if an alarm is displayed.

[0009] In broadcast master transmission systems, failures in any equipment can affect broadcast transmission, making rapid fault detection and identification of the cause essential.

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide a display control device, a display control method, and a display control program that enable easy identification of equipment experiencing a failure in an IP-based system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In one aspect of the present invention, the display control device includes a display control unit that causes a display means to display a screen including a connection status display image showing the connection status between a preceding device and a plurality of subsequent devices, wherein the connection status display image includes a first screen item showing the preceding device and a second screen item showing the subsequent devices, and the display control unit causes the first screen item to be displayed in a different display format than when the preceding device is outputting an alarm, and causes the second screen item to be displayed in a different display format than when the subsequent device is outputting an alarm.

[0012] Furthermore, in another aspect of the present invention, the display control method causes a display means to display a screen including a connection status display image showing the connection status between a preceding device and a plurality of subsequent devices, wherein the connection status display image includes a first screen item showing the preceding device and a second screen item showing the subsequent devices, wherein when the preceding device outputs an alarm, the first screen item is displayed in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting, and when the subsequent devices output an alarm, the second screen item is displayed in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting.

[0013] In another aspect of the present invention, the display control program provides a computer with a display control function that causes a display means to display a screen including a connection status display image showing the connection status between a preceding device and a plurality of subsequent devices, and a monitoring function that monitors alarms of the preceding device and the subsequent devices, wherein the connection status display image includes a first screen item showing the preceding device and a second screen item showing the subsequent devices, and the display control function causes the first screen item to be displayed in a different display format than when the preceding device is outputting an alarm, and causes the second screen item to be displayed in a different display format than when the subsequent device is outputting an alarm. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, in an IP-based system, it becomes possible to easily identify a device in which a failure has occurred. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a display control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an operation example of the display control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a system including a display control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the display control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a connection status display image according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a connection status display image according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of an extracted display image according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a menu display image according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of an alarm display image according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operation example of the display control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an operation example of the display control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an operation example of the display control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of transition of an image displayed on a display unit by the display control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of each embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation status display screen. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a rack display screen. Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] [First Embodiment] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0017] FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of the display control apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. The display control apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes a display control unit 11.

[0018] The display control unit 11 causes a display unit to display a screen including a connection status display image that indicates a connection status between a preceding-stage device and a plurality of subsequent-stage devices. The connection status display image includes a first screen item indicating the preceding-stage device and a second screen item indicating the subsequent-stage device. When the preceding-stage device is outputting an alarm, the display control unit 11 causes the first screen item to be displayed in a display form different from that when no alarm is output. Further, when the subsequent-stage device is outputting an alarm, the display control unit 11 causes the second screen item to be displayed in a display form different from that when no alarm is output.

[0019] By configuring the display control apparatus 10 in this manner, the display control apparatus 10 causes the display unit to display a screen including a connection status display image that indicates a connection status between the preceding-stage device and the plurality of subsequent-stage devices. Further, when the preceding-stage device is outputting an alarm, the display control apparatus 10 causes the first screen item to be displayed in a display form different from that when no alarm is output. Further, when the subsequent-stage device is outputting an alarm, the display control apparatus 10 causes the second screen item to be displayed in a display form different from that when no alarm is output. Accordingly, the display control apparatus 10 causes the display unit to display a screen that includes a display indicating the connection status between the preceding-stage device and the plurality of subsequent-stage devices and an alarm status, which allows a user to identify a device in which a failure has occurred in consideration of the connection status. Therefore, in an IP-based system, it becomes possible to facilitate identification of a device in which a failure has occurred.

[0020] Next, Figure 2 shows an example of the operation of the display control device 10 of this embodiment.

[0021] The display control unit 11 causes the display means to display a screen that includes a connection status display image showing the connection status between the preceding device and a plurality of subsequent devices (step S101). The connection status display image includes a first screen item showing the preceding device and a second screen item showing the subsequent devices. When the preceding device outputs an alarm, the display control unit 11 displays the first screen item in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting. Also, when the subsequent device outputs an alarm, the display control unit 11 displays the second screen item in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting (step S102).

[0022] By operating in this manner, the display control device 10 causes the display means to display a screen including a connection status display image that shows the connection status between the preceding device and multiple subsequent devices. Furthermore, when the preceding device outputs an alarm, the display control device 10 displays the first screen item in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting. Also, when a subsequent device outputs an alarm, the display control device 10 displays the second screen item in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting. As a result, in an IP-based system, it becomes possible to easily identify the device experiencing a failure.

[0023] As described above, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the display control device 10 causes the display means to display a screen including a connection status display image that shows the connection status between the preceding device and a plurality of subsequent devices. Furthermore, when the preceding device outputs an alarm, the display control device 10 displays the first screen item in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting. Furthermore, when the subsequent device outputs an alarm, the display control device 10 displays the second screen item in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting. As a result, it becomes possible to easily identify the device experiencing a failure in an IP-based system.

[0024] [Second Embodiment] Next, the display control device 20 in the second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0025] First, Figure 3 shows an example of the system configuration including the display control device 20 of this embodiment. An input source device 70-i (where i is an integer between 1 and n) is connected to the transfer device 60. An output destination device 80-j (where j is an integer between 1 and m) is also connected to the transfer device 60. A display means 40 is connected to the display control device 20. An information gathering device 50 is connected to both the display control device 20 and the transfer device 60. The display control device 20 is also connected to the transfer device 60.

[0026] The input source device 70-i is a device that receives broadcast material from devices that can be input sources for broadcast material, such as material banks, editing equipment, and cameras used outdoors. The output destination device 80-j is a device that transmits broadcast material to devices that can be output destinations for broadcast material, such as transmission stations and material banks.

[0027] The transfer device 60 transfers broadcast material from the input source device 70-i to the output destination device 80-j. The transfer device 60 transfers the broadcast material input by the input source device 70-i, as specified by the instruction, to each of the output destination devices 80-j, in response to instructions from a device (not shown) that is aware of the broadcast schedule. The device that is aware of the broadcast schedule is, for example, an APS (Automatic Program control System).

[0028] The information gathering device 50 collects information from the input source device 70-i and the output destination device 80-j.

[0029] SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) standardizes ST2110, a signaling standard for transmitting broadcast content using IP (Internet Protocol). AMWA (Advanced Media Workflow Association) is also developing the NMOS (Networked Media Open Specifications) standard. The NMOS standard provides an IP-based control and management layer in addition to the transport layer provided by SMPTE ST2110.

[0030] For example, NMOS IS-04 specifies a method for managing devices participating in an NMOS network. The information gathering device 50 can use this mechanism to collect information about the input source device 70-i and the output destination device 80-j.

[0031] The display control device 20 causes the display means 40 to display a screen containing information within the system. The display control device 20 is, for example, an alarm monitoring device that monitors the alarm status of devices within the system.

[0032] The display means 40 displays a screen according to information from the display control device 20. The display means 40 may include a display as an output device, or a touch panel as an input / output device.

[0033] Next, the display control device 20 of this embodiment will be described using Figure 4. The display control device 20 of this embodiment includes a display control unit 21 and a monitoring unit 22.

[0034] The display control unit 21 causes the display means to display a screen including a connection status display image that shows the connection status between the preceding device and a plurality of subsequent devices. In this embodiment, the preceding device is, for example, the input source device 70-i. The subsequent device is, for example, the output destination device 80-j. Note that the preceding device and the subsequent devices are devices that can communicate with the display control device 20 via the transfer device 60, and are not limited to the input source device 70-i and the output destination device 80-j.

[0035] The display control unit 21 can obtain information about the connection status between the input source device 70-i and the output destination device 80-j from the output destination device 80-j via the transfer device 60. Furthermore, if the information collection device 50 is aware of the connection status between the input source device 70-i and the output destination device 80-j, the display control unit 21 may obtain this information from the information collection device 50.

[0036] Note that the connection status may refer to a physical connection status, or it may refer to the correspondence between data sources and destinations, such as broadcast material. In the following explanation, the connection status will be assumed to refer to the correspondence between data sources and destinations. Furthermore, the connection status will be assumed to be dynamically changed by APS, etc.

[0037] The display control unit 21 can acquire information from the input source device 70-i or the output destination device 80-j, for example, using NMOS IS-05 messages.

[0038] More specifically, the display control unit 21 obtains the multicast address of the destination of the broadcast material input by the input source device 70-i from the input source device 70-i. The display control unit 21 also obtains the multicast address of the destination of the broadcast material received by the output destination device 80-j from the output destination device 80-j. The output destination device 80-j receives the broadcast material by receiving a packet that includes the multicast address of the broadcast material it wishes to receive as its destination. In this way, the display control unit 21 can determine which input source device 70-i has input the broadcast material that the output destination device 80-j is receiving.

[0039] The connection status display image includes a first screen item indicating the preceding device and a second screen item indicating the succeeding device. The display control unit 21 displays the first screen item in a different format than when the preceding device is outputting an alarm. The display control unit 21 also displays the second screen item in a different format than when the succeeding device is outputting an alarm.

[0040] Figures 5 and 6 show examples of connection status display images 31. Figure 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of the connection status display image 31 shown in Figure 5.

[0041] In the connection status display image 31 shown in Figure 5, multiple first screen items representing the preceding device (Sender) are displayed in the upper section. Multiple second screen items representing the subsequent device (Receiver) are displayed in the lower section. A line indicating the connection status between the preceding and subsequent devices is shown between the first and second screen items. The connection status shown here indicates which preceding device is inputting data for each subsequent device.

[0042] Furthermore, screen items indicating devices that are outputting alarms are displayed in a different format than screen items indicating devices that are not outputting alarms, for example, with different text colors or background colors. In addition, the first and second screen items may be displayed in different formats depending on the type of alarm. For example, the first and second screen items may be displayed with a red background color in the case of a serious malfunction alarm, and with a pink background color in the case of a minor malfunction alarm.

[0043] In this way, the display control device 20 displays both the connection status of each device and the alarm status on a single screen, allowing users to visually understand which devices are connected to the device that is emitting an alarm. This makes it easier to identify the device experiencing the malfunction.

[0044] Furthermore, the display control unit 21 may change the first screen item indicating the preceding device according to the alarm activation ratio of the subsequent devices connected to the preceding device. The alarm activation ratio is the ratio of the number of subsequent devices that are outputting an alarm to the number of subsequent devices connected to the preceding device.

[0045] The display control unit 21, for example, changes the background color of the area of ​​the first screen item corresponding to the alarm activation ratio to a background color different from the normal state. For example, in the case of a preceding device with an alarm activation ratio of 50%, the display control unit 21 sets the background color of half of the area of ​​the first screen item representing the preceding device to the alarm color, and the background color of the remaining half to the normal state color. The display control unit 21 may also make the first screen item of a preceding device with an alarm activation ratio of 100% blink.

[0046] Devices with a high alarm activation rate are more likely to be experiencing actual malfunctions. Therefore, this method makes it easier to identify devices that are likely to be malfunctioning.

[0047] In Figures 5 and 6, the widths of the first and second screen items correspond to the number of ports on the corresponding device.

[0048] Furthermore, the display control unit 21 may display the connection status in different colors according to the type of broadcast material being transmitted. For example, the display control unit 21 may display the connection status in different colors depending on which type of broadcast material is being transmitted, from ST2110-20, ST2110-30, and ST2110-40 as defined in SMPTE ST2110. ST2110-20, ST2110-30, and ST2110-40 correspond to video, audio, and auxiliary data, respectively.

[0049] Furthermore, in a broadcast master transmission system, the output device often receives broadcast material input from the same input device for each of the video, audio, and auxiliary data. Therefore, if the output device receives broadcast material input from a different input device for any of the video, audio, or auxiliary data, the display control unit 21 may display the line indicating the connection status of that broadcast material in a display format different from the normal state. The display format may be, for example, the color of the line, the thickness of the line, the blinking state of the line, a dashed line, a wavy line, etc. Also, for example, if the output device 80-1 receives video and auxiliary data from input device 70-1 and audio from input device 70-2, the display control unit 21 may display the line indicating the audio being transferred from input device 70-2 to the output device 80-1 in a display format different from the normal state.

[0050] Furthermore, the display control unit 21, in response to user operation, causes the display means 40 to display a screen including the extracted display image 32 when an extracted display instruction is input that instructs the display of the extracted display image 32. The extracted display image 32 includes a screen item indicating the device specified by the extracted display instruction, a screen item indicating the device connected to the specified device, and a display indicating the connection status between the specified device and the device connected to the specified device. The extracted display instruction is input, for example, in response to an operation in which the user selects the first screen item or the second screen item of the connection status display image 31.

[0051] Figure 7 shows an example of the extracted display image 32. The example shown in Figure 7 is an example of the extracted display image 32 when an extracted display instruction is entered to instruct the display of the extracted display image 32 for the preceding device whose device name is "IPO-SYS11". In this example, six subsequent devices are connected to the preceding device. In addition, connection status information is displayed not only graphically but also in text. In this example, the port name, material name, and device name of the subsequent devices are displayed in correspondence with the port name, material name, and device name of the preceding device. The type of material being transmitted through each connection (video ("VIDEO"), audio ("AUDIO"), auxiliary data ("ANC")) is also displayed.

[0052] The device names are pre-associated with device identification information such as IP addresses and stored in internal or external storage means (not shown) of the display control device 20. The display control unit 21 can display the device names on the extracted display image 32 by retrieving the device names associated with the device identification information obtained from each device from the storage means.

[0053] Similarly, port names are also stored in the storage means in advance, associated with port identification information. The display control unit 21 can then retrieve the port names associated with the port identification information obtained from each device from the storage means, and display the port names in the extracted display image 32.

[0054] Furthermore, the display control unit 21 can obtain information on the connection status between ports by querying downstream devices.

[0055] Furthermore, the material names are stored in the storage means in advance, associated with the device identification information of the preceding device. The display control unit 21 can display the material names on the extracted display image 32 by retrieving the material names associated with the device identification information obtained from the preceding device from the storage means.

[0056] Furthermore, the display control unit 21 can obtain the material type of the broadcast material being received by the downstream device by querying the downstream device.

[0057] Furthermore, the information gathering device 50 can detect changes in the connection status. Therefore, the display control unit 21 may acquire the above-mentioned information from the preceding and succeeding devices when the information gathering device 50 detects a change. In addition, the display control unit 21 may periodically acquire the above-mentioned information from the preceding and succeeding devices.

[0058] In connection status display images 31, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, users can grasp the overall picture of whether or not an alarm has occurred. Furthermore, in extracted display images 32, as shown in Figure 7, users can grasp the connection status and alarm status of each device in more detail than in connection status display images 31.

[0059] Furthermore, if the display control unit 21 is displaying a screen including the connection status display image 31 on the display means 40 and a menu display instruction is received to instruct the display of the menu display image 33, the display control unit 21 may display a screen on the display means 40 in which the menu display image 33 is superimposed on the connection status display image 31. The menu display instruction is received, for example, in response to an operation in which the user selects a screen item on the connection status display image 31 (such as right-clicking or long-pressing). The menu display image 33 also includes a menu that indicates an instruction to display the alarm display image 34, which displays detailed information about the alarm.

[0060] Figure 8 shows an example of a menu display image 33. In the example shown in Figure 8, the menu display image 33 includes a menu for "Alarm Details Display". The "Alarm Details Display" menu is a menu for instructing the display of the alarm display image 34, which displays detailed information about the alarm.

[0061] When the display control unit 21 is displaying an image including the menu display image 33 on the display means 40, and an alarm display instruction is received to instruct the display of the alarm display image 34, the display control unit 21 displays an image including the alarm display image 34 on the display means 40.

[0062] Figure 9 shows an example of an alarm display image 34. In the example shown in Figure 9, detailed alarm information for the preceding device, whose device name is "IPO-SYS11," is displayed.

[0063] The monitoring unit 22 monitors alarms from each device. For example, the monitoring unit 22 can determine that a device is outputting an alarm by receiving alarm information transmitted from each device (preceding device and subsequent device). The monitoring unit 22 may also determine that an alarm has been resolved based on alarm cancellation information received from each device. The monitoring unit 22 may also determine that an alarm has been resolved if it does not receive alarm information transmitted periodically while the alarm is active for a predetermined period of time. Furthermore, the monitoring unit 22 may periodically check the status of each device and consider a device to be outputting an alarm if it has not been able to confirm its status for a predetermined period of time.

[0064] By configuring the display control device 20 in this way, the display control device 20 causes the display means to display a screen that includes a connection status display image showing the connection status between the preceding device and multiple subsequent devices. Furthermore, when the preceding device outputs an alarm, the display control device 20 displays the first screen item in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting. Furthermore, when a subsequent device outputs an alarm, the display control device 20 displays the second screen item in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting. As a result, the display control device 20 displays a screen on the display means that includes a display showing the connection status between the preceding device and multiple subsequent devices and the alarm status, making it possible for the user to identify the device experiencing a malfunction, taking the connection status into consideration. Therefore, it becomes possible to easily identify the device experiencing a malfunction in an IP-based system.

[0065] Next, an example of the operation of the display control device 20 of this embodiment will be described using Figures 10 to 12.

[0066] When a display instruction is received from the display control device 20 to display the connection status display image 31, the extracted display image 32, or the alarm display image 34 (step S201 in Figure 10), the display control device 20 updates the image to be displayed based on the latest information (step S202). The latest information is stored in the storage means. The display control device 20 then causes the display means 40 to display the screen including the updated image (step S203). If a display instruction is received from the display control device 20 to display the menu display image 33, the display control device 20 causes the display means 40 to display the screen including the menu display image 33.

[0067] Furthermore, when the display control device 20 receives notification from the information collection device 50 that the connection status or device information of a device connected to the transfer device 60 has changed (step S301 in Figure 11), it acquires the connection status information and device information from the device whose connection status or device information has changed. The display control device 20 also stores the acquired information in the storage means (step S302). The device information includes, for example, information on the broadcast material input by the input source device 70-i and information on the broadcast material received by the output destination device 80-j.

[0068] Next, if the connection status display image 31 or the extracted display image 32 is displayed on the display means 40, the display control device 20 updates the image displayed on the display means 40 based on the acquired information (step S303). The display control device 20 also causes the display means 40 to display a screen including the updated image (step S304).

[0069] Furthermore, if the display control device 20 detects that an alarm has occurred or been resolved in a device connected to the transfer device 60 (step S401 in Figure 12), it stores information related to the alarm in the storage means. Also, if the connection status display image 31 or the extracted display image 32 is displayed on the display means 40, the image displayed on the display means 40 is updated (step S303).

[0070] Figure 13 also shows an example of the transition of images that the display control device 20 displays on the display means 40.

[0071] When the display control device 20 is displaying some screen on the display means 40 and an instruction to display the connection status display image 31 is received, the display control device 20 displays a screen including the connection status display image 31 on the display means 40 (step S501).

[0072] Furthermore, when the display control device 20 is displaying a screen including the connection status display image 31 on the display means 40 and a display instruction for the extracted display image 32 is received, the display control device 20 displays a screen including the extracted display image 32 relating to the device to be displayed on the display means 40 (step S502). The device to be displayed is either a preceding or succeeding device whose screen item is displayed on the connection status display image 31.

[0073] Furthermore, when the display control device 20 is displaying a screen including the extracted display image 32 on the display means 40, and a display instruction for the connection status display image 31 is received, the display control device 20 displays a screen including the connection status display image 31 on the display means 40 (step S503).

[0074] Furthermore, if the display control device 20 is displaying a screen including the connection status display image 31 on the display means 40 and a display instruction for the menu display image 33 is received, the display control device 20 will display a screen including the menu display image 33 on the display means 40. Then, if a display instruction for the alarm display image 34 is received, the display control device 20 will display a screen including the alarm display image 34 on the display means 40 (step S504). Note that the menu display image 33 is not shown in Figure 13.

[0075] Furthermore, if the display control device 20 is displaying a screen including the alarm display image 34 on the display means 40 and an instruction to display the connection status display image 31 is received, the display control device 20 will display a screen including the connection status display image 31 on the display means 40 (step S505).

[0076] Furthermore, if the display control device 20 is displaying a screen including the extracted display image 32 on the display means 40 and a display instruction for the menu display image 33 is received, the display control device 20 will display a screen including the menu display image 33 on the display means 40. Then, if the display control device 20 is receiving a display instruction for the alarm display image 34, the display control device 20 will display a screen including the alarm display image 34 on the display means 40 (step S506).

[0077] Furthermore, if the display control device 20 is displaying a screen including the alarm display image 34 on the display means 40 and a display instruction for the extracted display image 32 is received, the display control device 20 will display a screen including the extracted display image 32 on the display means 40 (step S507).

[0078] By operating in this manner, the display control device 20 causes the display means to display a screen that includes a connection status display image showing the connection status between the preceding device and multiple subsequent devices. Furthermore, when the preceding device outputs an alarm, the display control device 20 displays the first screen item in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting. Also, when a subsequent device outputs an alarm, the display control device 20 displays the second screen item in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting. As a result, in an IP-based system, it becomes easier to identify the device experiencing a failure.

[0079] As described above, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the display control device 20 causes the display means to display a screen including a connection status display image showing the connection status between the preceding device and a plurality of subsequent devices. Furthermore, when the preceding device outputs an alarm, the display control device 20 displays the first screen item in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting. Furthermore, when the subsequent device outputs an alarm, the display control device 20 displays the second screen item in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting. As a result, the display control device 20 displays a screen on the display means including a display showing the connection status between the preceding device and a plurality of subsequent devices and the alarm status, making it possible for the user to identify the device experiencing a malfunction, taking the connection status into consideration. Therefore, it becomes possible to easily identify the device experiencing a malfunction in an IP-based system.

[0080] [Example Hardware Configuration] The following describes an example of hardware resource configurations for realizing the display control devices (10, 20) in each embodiment of the present invention described above using a single information processing device (computer). Note that the display control device may be realized using at least two or more information processing devices, either physically or functionally. Furthermore, the display control device may be realized as a dedicated device, or a general-purpose device may be used. Also, only some of the functions of the display control device may be realized using an information processing device.

[0081] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device capable of realizing each embodiment of the present invention. The information processing device 90 includes a communication interface 91, an input / output interface 92, an arithmetic unit 93, a storage device 94, a non-volatile storage device 95, and a drive device 96.

[0082] For example, the display control unit 11 in Figure 1 can be implemented using the arithmetic unit 93.

[0083] The communication interface 91 is a communication means for the display control device of each embodiment to communicate with an external device via at least one of wired and wireless means. If the display control device is implemented using at least two information processing devices, these devices may be connected via the communication interface 91 to enable mutual communication.

[0084] The input / output interface 92 is a human-machine interface, such as a keyboard as an example of an input device, or a display as an output device.

[0085] The arithmetic unit 93 is implemented by, for example, an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a microprocessor, and multiple electrical circuits. The arithmetic unit 93 can, for example, read various programs stored in the non-volatile memory device 95 into the memory device 94 and execute processing according to the read program.

[0086] The storage device 94 is a memory device such as RAM (Random Access Memory) that can be accessed by the arithmetic unit 93, and stores programs and various data. The storage device 94 may also be a volatile memory device.

[0087] The non-volatile storage device 95 is a non-volatile storage device such as ROM (Read Only Memory) or flash memory, and is capable of storing various programs and data.

[0088] The drive device 96 is, for example, a device that processes data recorded on the recording medium 97, which will be described later, and data writing.

[0089] The recording medium 97 is any recording medium capable of recording data, such as an optical disc, magneto-optical disc, or semiconductor flash memory.

[0090] Each embodiment of the present invention may be implemented, for example, by configuring a display control device with an information processing device 90 illustrated in Figure 14, and supplying this display control device with a program capable of realizing the functions described in each embodiment above.

[0091] In this case, the embodiment can be realized by having the arithmetic unit 93 execute the program supplied to the display control device. Furthermore, it is also possible to configure some, rather than all, of the functions of the display control device in the information processing device 90.

[0092] Furthermore, the above program may be recorded on the recording medium 97, and configured to be stored in the non-volatile storage device 95 as appropriate during the shipping or operation phase of the display control device. In this case, the method of supplying the above program may be to install it into the display control device using an appropriate jig during the manufacturing phase before shipping or during the operation phase. Alternatively, the method of supplying the above program may be to use a general procedure such as downloading it from an external source via a communication line such as the Internet.

[0093] The embodiments described above are preferred embodiments of the present invention, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0094] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following:

[0095] (Note 1) A display control unit displays a screen on a display means that includes a connection status display image showing the connection status between a preceding device and multiple subsequent devices. Equipped with, The connection status display image includes a first screen item showing the preceding device and a second screen item showing the succeeding device. The display control unit causes the first screen item to be displayed in a different display format than when the preceding device is outputting an alarm, and causes the second screen item to be displayed in a different display format than when the subsequent device is outputting an alarm. Display control device.

[0096] (Note 2) The aforementioned upstream and downstream equipment are connected to the broadcast master transmission system. The display control device described in Appendix 1.

[0097] (Note 3) The aforementioned broadcast master transmission system is an IP (Internet Protocol) based system. The display control device described in Appendix 2.

[0098] (Note 4) The aforementioned connection state refers to the physical connection state between the preceding device and the succeeding device, or the correspondence between the data source and destination. A display control device as described in any of Appendix 1 to Appendix 3.

[0099] (Note 5) The aforementioned preceding equipment is an input source device that can serve as the input source for broadcast material. The aforementioned downstream device is an output device that can serve as the output destination for broadcast material. A display control device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 4.

[0100] (Note 6) When an extraction display instruction is input in response to an operation to select the first screen item or the second screen item, the display control unit causes the display means to display a screen that includes the extraction display image showing the connection status between the preceding device indicated by the selected first screen item or the subsequent device indicated by the selected second screen item and the subsequent device connected to the preceding device indicated by the selected first screen item or the preceding device connected to the subsequent device indicated by the selected second screen item. A display control device as described in any of Appendix 1 to Appendix 5.

[0101] (Note 7) The display control unit changes the display format of the first screen item indicating the preceding device according to the alarm activation ratio of the subsequent device connected to the preceding device. The aforementioned alarm activation ratio is the ratio of the number of downstream devices that are outputting an alarm to the number of downstream devices connected to the upstream device. A display control device as described in any of Appendix 1 to Appendix 6.

[0102] (Note 8) A screen including a connection status display image showing the connection status between the preceding device and multiple subsequent devices is displayed on the display means. The connection status display image includes a first screen item showing the preceding device and a second screen item showing the succeeding device. When the preceding device outputs an alarm, the first screen item is displayed in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting, and when the subsequent device outputs an alarm, the second screen item is displayed in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting. Display control method.

[0103] (Note 9) The aforementioned upstream and downstream equipment are connected to the broadcast master transmission system. The display control method described in Appendix 8.

[0104] (Note 10) The aforementioned broadcast master transmission system is an IP (Internet Protocol) based system. The display control method described in Appendix 9.

[0105] (Note 11) The aforementioned connection state refers to the physical connection state between the preceding device and the succeeding device, or the correspondence between the data source and destination. A display control method described in any of the appendices 8 to 10.

[0106] (Note 12) The aforementioned preceding equipment is an input source device that can serve as the input source for broadcast material. The aforementioned downstream device is an output device that can serve as the output destination for broadcast material. A display control method described in any of the appendices 8 to 11.

[0107] (Note 13) When an extraction display instruction is input in response to an operation to select the first screen item or the second screen item, instructing the display of an extracted display image, the display means is to display a screen including the extracted display image showing the connection status between the preceding device indicated by the selected first screen item or the subsequent device indicated by the selected second screen item and the subsequent device connected to the preceding device indicated by the selected first screen item or the preceding device connected to the subsequent device indicated by the selected second screen item. A display control method described in any of the appendices 8 to 12.

[0108] (Note 14) The display format of the first screen item indicating the preceding device is changed according to the alarm activation ratio of the subsequent device connected to the preceding device. The aforementioned alarm activation ratio is the ratio of the number of downstream devices that are outputting an alarm to the number of downstream devices connected to the upstream device. A display control method described in any of the appendices 8 to 13.

[0109] (Note 15) On the computer, A display control function that causes a display means to display a screen including a connection status display image showing the connection status between a preceding device and multiple subsequent devices, A monitoring function that monitors alarms of the preceding and succeeding equipment. To make it happen, The connection status display image includes a first screen item showing the preceding device and a second screen item showing the succeeding device. The display control function causes the first screen item to be displayed in a different display format than when the preceding device is outputting an alarm, and the second screen item to be displayed in a different display format than when the subsequent device is outputting an alarm. Display control program.

[0110] (Note 16) The aforementioned upstream and downstream equipment are connected to the broadcast master transmission system. The display control program described in Appendix 15.

[0111] (Note 17) The aforementioned broadcast master transmission system is an IP (Internet Protocol) based system. The display control program described in Appendix 16.

[0112] (Note 18) The aforementioned connection state refers to the physical connection state between the preceding device and the succeeding device, or the correspondence between the data source and destination. The display control program described in any of the appendices 15 to 17.

[0113] (Note 19) The aforementioned preceding equipment is an input source device that can serve as the input source for broadcast material. The aforementioned downstream device is an output device that can serve as the output destination for broadcast material. The display control program described in any of the appendices 15 to 18.

[0114] (Note 20) The display control function, when an extraction display instruction is input in response to an operation to select the first screen item or the second screen item, instructs the display means to display a screen that includes the extraction display image showing the connection status between the preceding device indicated by the selected first screen item or the subsequent device indicated by the selected second screen item and the subsequent device connected to the preceding device indicated by the selected first screen item or the preceding device connected to the subsequent device indicated by the selected second screen item. A display control program as described in any of the appendices 15 to 19.

[0115] (Note 21) The display control function changes the display format of the first screen item indicating the preceding device according to the alarm activation ratio of the subsequent device connected to the preceding device. The aforementioned alarm activation ratio is the ratio of the number of downstream devices that are outputting an alarm to the number of downstream devices connected to the upstream device. The display control program described in any of the appendices 15 to 20. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0116] 10, 20 Display control device 11, 21 Display Control Unit 22 Monitoring Department 40 Display means 50 Information gathering device 60 Transfer device 70-i Input Source Device 80-j Output device 90 Information Processing Equipment 91 Communication Interface 92 Input / Output Interfaces 93 Arithmetic unit 94 Storage device 95 Non-volatile memory devices 96 Drive unit 97 Recording media

Claims

1. A display control unit displays a screen on a display means that includes a connection status display image showing the connection status between a preceding device and multiple subsequent devices. Equipped with, The preceding device is a Sender in the NMOS (Networked Media Open Specifications) standard, and the following device is a Receiver in the NMOS standard. The connection status display image includes a first screen item that shows the preceding equipment on an individual device basis, and a plurality of second screen items that show the subsequent equipment on an individual device basis. The display control unit, when the preceding device outputs an alarm, displays the first screen item in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting, and when the subsequent device outputs an alarm, displays the second screen item corresponding to the subsequent device that is outputting the alarm in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting. Display control device.

2. The aforementioned upstream and downstream equipment are connected to the broadcast master transmission system. The display control device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned broadcast master transmission system is an IP (Internet Protocol) based system. The display control device according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned connection state refers to the physical connection state between the preceding device and the succeeding device, or the correspondence between the data source and destination. A display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The aforementioned preceding equipment is an input source device that can serve as the input source for broadcast material. The aforementioned downstream device is an output device that can serve as the output destination for broadcast material. A display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. When an extraction display instruction is input in response to an operation to select the first screen item or the second screen item, the display control unit causes the display means to display a screen that includes the extraction display image showing the connection status between the preceding device indicated by the selected first screen item or the subsequent device indicated by the selected second screen item and the subsequent device connected to the preceding device indicated by the selected first screen item or the preceding device connected to the subsequent device indicated by the selected second screen item. A display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The display control unit changes the display format of the first screen item indicating the preceding device according to the alarm activation ratio of the subsequent device connected to the preceding device. The aforementioned alarm activation ratio is the ratio of the number of downstream devices that are outputting an alarm to the number of downstream devices connected to the upstream device. A display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A screen including a connection status display image showing the connection status between the preceding device and multiple subsequent devices is displayed on the display means. The preceding device is a sender in the NMOS standard, and the following device is a receiver in the NMOS standard. The connection status display image includes a first screen item that shows the preceding equipment on an individual device basis, and a plurality of second screen items that show the subsequent equipment on an individual device basis. When the preceding device outputs an alarm, the first screen item is displayed in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting, and when the subsequent device outputs an alarm, the second screen item corresponding to the subsequent device that is outputting the alarm is displayed in a different display format than when the alarm is not outputting. Display control method.

9. The aforementioned connection state refers to the physical connection state between the preceding device and the succeeding device, or the correspondence between the data source and destination. The display control method according to claim 8.

10. On the computer, A display control function that causes a display means to display a screen including a connection status display image showing the connection status between a preceding device and multiple subsequent devices, A monitoring function that monitors alarms of the preceding and succeeding equipment. To make it happen, The preceding device is a sender in the NMOS standard, and the following device is a receiver in the NMOS standard. The connection status display image includes a first screen item that shows the preceding equipment on an individual device basis, and a plurality of second screen items that show the subsequent equipment on an individual device basis. The display control function causes the first screen item to be displayed in a different format than when the preceding device is outputting an alarm, and when the subsequent device is outputting an alarm, it causes the second screen item corresponding to the subsequent device that is outputting the alarm to be displayed in a different format than when the alarm is not outputting. Display control program.

Images