Patent ID: 8495187
Filing Date: 2013-07-23
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for managing media content, the apparatus being connected to and controlling a first media server and a media renderer, which are connected to a home network, the apparatus storing and managing information regarding media content in the first media server, and providing a directory service with respect to media content under a home network environment, the apparatus comprising: a media server directory module which stores and manages meta data of the media content in media servers existing under the home network environment and which stores and manages connection information regarding the media servers, the media servers comprising the first media server that provides a first service of a content directory service of the first media server for accessing the media content; a proxy media server module which provides all services of a content directory service of the media servers for accessing the media content using the meta data of the media content managed by the media server directory module and which transmits meta data corresponding to media content to be played back by a media renderer to the media renderer if the media content to be played back is requested to be played back, the services of the content directory service of the media servers comprising the first service and a second service unsupported by the first media server for accessing the media content and the media renderer receiving the media content to be played back from the first media server that stores the media content based on the meta data received from the proxy media server module; and a media server control point module which controls the media server directory module and the proxy media server module, searches for the media content comprised in all of the media servers, and retrieves and stores the meta data of searched media content in the media server directory module, wherein the media server control point module comprises: a media server management layer which manages and monitors a state of each of the media servers existing on the home network and transmits information regarding a control point component corresponding to each media server to a media server component layer; a media server component layer which generates a control point component corresponding to each media server according to the information regarding to the control point component received from the media server management layer, manages the generated control point component, and controls a content directory service, a connection manager service, and an audio or video transport service which are provided by the media servers; and a control point framework which transmits a command of the media server control point module to one of the media servers on the home network, wherein the connection information is information that identifies a connection manager service related with a connection between the media servers and the media renderer and an audio or video transport service related with transmission of streaming of the media content between the media servers and the media renderer which are provided by each of the media servers, wherein at least one of the media server directory module, the proxy media server module and the media server control point module is implemented by a processor, and wherein the first service comprises a browse function and the second service comprises a search function.