Abstract:
A system and method for sharing Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network information is provided. The system includes a first mobile terminal that collects information about a DLNA network having a radio radius in which the first mobile terminal is located, and transmits the information about the DLNA network to a web server. The web server manages the information about the DLNA network received from the first mobile terminal, and shares the information about the DLNA network with a second mobile terminal, which is located outside of the radio radius of the DLNA network, via an Internet connection.

Description:
PRIORITY 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) to Korean Patent Application Serial No. 10-2011-0099822, which was filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Sep. 30, 2011, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a system and method for sharing information about a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The DLNA is a non-profit collaborative trade organization, which is responsible for defining interoperability guidelines to enable sharing of digital media between consumer appliances such as Personal Computers (PCs), printers, cameras, cell phones, Set Top Boxes (STBs), TeleVisions (TVs), and other multimedia devices. Basically, the DLNA guidelines are used in order to achieve interoperability between appliances in a home network. 
     Generally, DLNA network appliances share content via a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) Access Point (AP). The DLNA network appliances indicate appliances mounting DLNA middleware. The WiFi AP assigns an Internet Protocol (IP) address for each appliance based on Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). The DLNA network appliances can communicate with one another through Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) protocol, and can share content with other appliances over the Internet. 
     Generally, after a terminal user searches an accessible WiFi AP, the terminal user can access a Digital Media Server (DMS) of a corresponding DLNA network via the searched WiFi AP. The DMS stores and provides content. 
     However, in a conventional system, the terminal user must be positioned within a radio radius of the WiFi AP in order to identify and access the DMS of the DLNA network. As a result, if the terminal user is positioned out of the radio radius of the WiFi AP, the terminal user cannot identify the WiFi AP, making it difficult to gain access to the DMS of the DLNA network. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is designed to addresses at least the above-described problems and/or disadvantages occurring in the prior art, and to provide at least the advantages below. 
     Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide a system and method that enable terminal users to share information about a corresponding DLNA network without geographical limits. 
     Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a system and method in which a terminal user who is positioned in an area where a DMS of a corresponding DLNA network cannot be directly identified, receives information about the DMS of the DLNA network through the Internet. 
     Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a system and method for posting a DMS address of a DLNA network on the web, thereby allowing other terminal users to access the DMS address. 
     Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a system and method for linking information of a corresponding DLNA network (e.g., location information, DMS information, and content information) and user opinions (hereinafter, social information) about the DLNA network. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a system for sharing DLNA network information is provided. The system includes a first mobile terminal that collects information about a DLNA network having a radio radius in which the first mobile terminal is located, and transmits the information about the DLNA network to a web server; and the web server that manages the information about the DLNA network received from the first mobile terminal, and shares the information about the DLNA network with a second mobile terminal, which is located outside of the radio radius of the DLNA network, via an Internet connection. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a system for sharing DLNA network information is provided. The system includes a first mobile terminal that uploads a post including information about a DLNA network having a radio radius in which the first mobile terminal is located, to a web server; and the web server that collects social information about the post received from the first mobile terminal, and manages the post and the social information. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method for sharing DLNA network information is provided. The method includes collecting, by a first mobile terminal, information about a DLNA network having a radio radius in which the first mobile terminal is located; transmitting the information about the DLNA network to a web server; and sharing, by the web server, the information about the DLNA network with a second mobile terminal, which is located outside of the radio radius of the DLNA network, via an Internet connection. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a system for sharing content of a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a storage configuration for information about a corresponding DLNA network in a storage unit of a mobile terminal or a web server in a DLNA-network information sharing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating a mobile terminal and a web server according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates communication in a DLNA-network information sharing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for registering DLNA network information in a web server of a DLNA-network information sharing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates screens displayed as a terminal searches a DMS located in a corresponding area according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  illustrates communication in a DLNA-network information sharing system according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, specific details such as detailed configuration and components are merely provided to assist the overall understanding of these embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness. 
     In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a system is provided that enables terminal users to share information about a corresponding DLNA network over the Internet without geographical limits. Specifically, the existence of a DMS of a DLNA network is shared over the Internet. For example, if a DMS address of the DLNA network is posted on the web, terminal users with Internet capabilities can access the posted DMS address. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a system for sharing content of a DLNA network according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the content sharing system includes a mobile terminal  110  and a web server  120 , which wirelessly communicate with each other. Specifically, the mobile terminal  110  identifies an accessible WiFi AP of a DLNA network at a current location. The identified WiFi AP indicates that the mobile terminal  110  is located within the radio radius of the WiFi AP. The mobile terminal  110  participates in the DLNA network via the WiFi AP access. 
     The mobile terminal  110  and appliances of the DLNA network are an IP addresses based on DHCP, and communicate through UPnP protocol. 
     The DLNA network includes a DMS, a Digital Media Player (DMP), a Digital Media Renderer (DMR), and a Digital Media Control (DMC). The DMS stores and manages content, and provides the content to connected terminals. The DMP receives content from the DMS or a DMS-mount terminal and reproduces the content. The DMC uploads or downloads content to or from the DMS-mount terminal. The DMR controls the DMC to receive content from the DMS and reproduce the content. The DMP may include the DMR and the DMC. 
     Each DLNA network can construct a plurality of DMSs, and the mobile terminal  110  can communicate with an opened, i.e., access-granted DMS. In  FIG. 1 , DMS A, DMS B, DMS C, and DMS D are opened DMSs granting access. 
     The mobile terminal  110  is located within a radio radius  131  of a DLNA B network, such that the mobile terminal  110  can identify the DMS B  132  of the DLNA B network. The mobile terminal  110  is also located within the radio radius  141  of a DLNA C network, such that the mobile terminal  110  can also identify the DMS C  142  of the DLNA C network. Basically, the mobile terminal  110  identifies DMS B  132  and DMS C  142  as access objects and may access both the DMS B  132  and DMS C  142 . 
     However, when the mobile terminal  110  is not located in the radio radius of a DLNA network, i.e., DLNA A and DLNA D, the mobile terminal  110  cannot identify either of DMS A or DMS D, and therefore, cannot identify these DMSs as potential access objects. 
     The mobile terminal  110  collects and stores information about a DLNA network in which the mobile terminal  110  is participating in a current location, and transmits this information to the web server  120 . The information about the DLNA networks includes location information, DMS information, content information, etc. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a storage configuration for information about a corresponding DLNA network in a storage unit of a mobile terminal or a web server in a DLNA-network information sharing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the mobile terminal  110  or web server  120  links location information of a DLNA network, DMS information, and content information, and stores the linked information. Additionally, the web server  120  maps opinions (hereinafter, social information) of terminal users about a DMS and content (e.g., an online comment, a grade), to the DLNA network information, and stores the mapping result. 
     The location information includes a street name, cell IDentifier (ID), GPS information, and the like. The DMS information links with the location information, and includes an IP address, an AP address, and the like. Further, the content information links with the DMS information, and includes a content list (not shown), content names, a detailed description of the content, and the like. Furthermore, the social information links with the DMS information or the content information, and includes a social site type, an online comment, a grade, etc. Additionally, the location information, the DMS information, the content information, and the social information are granted inherent IDs, managed, and linked with each other. Accordingly, users of terminals  130  can search the stored DLNA network information via the Internet. 
     For example, the web server  120  presents a DMS, which is located in a corresponding area, on a map with reference to the corresponding location information, DMS information, content information, and social information. If different information about a corresponding DLNA network is uploaded, the web server  120  updates the stored information using the uploaded information. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , in the DLNA-network information sharing system, a user of the mobile terminal  110  may post information about the DLNA network to the web server  120 . For example, the web server  120  sets up a web site capable of registering this posting. More specifically, the web server  120  receives a post, after receiving a request for posting registration from the mobile terminal  110 , and then grants an identification number for the post, creates an address for the post, and registers the post to a posting board. 
     For example, the post may be the introduction of a content of notifying a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP)—based Uniform Resource Locator (URL) address for the DMS or content. 
     The mobile terminal  110  can acquire the URL address for the DMS by transmitting a physical address of the DMS to the web server  120 . The web server  120  assigns a URL address (or an IP address) mapped to the physical address and transmits the URL address to the mobile terminal  110 . 
     The web server  120  connects and manages the post and the corresponding DLNA network information and social information. The web server  120  permits the users of the terminals  130  to input the social information, such as an online comment, a grade, etc., to the post. For example, the social information may be an index showing a user&#39;s preference or satisfaction for the post, or an index showing a preference or satisfaction for a corresponding DLNA network. 
     As described above, the web server  120  may set up one or more web sites (e.g., Social Network Services (SNSs)) that share the DLNA network information. Accordingly, the DLNA-network information sharing system supports communication between the mobile terminal  110  and the web server  120  through an access service such as a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) page, an open Application Programming Interface (API), etc. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating a mobile terminal and a web server according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the mobile terminal  110  includes an input unit  111  for user input, a display unit  112  for outputting display data, a storage unit  113  for storing data, a location information receiver  114  for receiving location information, a communication unit  115  for exchanging wireless signals, and a controller  116  for controlling operation of the mobile terminal  110 . The input unit  111  includes hardware or software buttons, and outputs an input signal received through these buttons to the controller  116 . The display unit  112 , e.g., a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), displays display data corresponding to an input signal according to the control of the controller  116 . The storage unit  113 , i.e., a memory, stores control programming and data input/output when the mobile terminal is  20  operated. The location information receiver  114  receives GPS information and cell ID information, and outputs the information to the controller  116 . The controller  116  identifies a position of the mobile terminal  110  from the information. The controller  116  provides information of a DLNA network accessible at a current location to a web server  120 . 
     The web server  120  includes a storage unit  121  for data, a communication unit  122  for exchanging wireless signals, and a controller  123  for controlling the operation of the web server  120 . The controller  123  communicates with the mobile terminal  110  through the communication unit  122 , and acquires and manages information about a corresponding DLNA network. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates communication in a DLNA-network information sharing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , in step  401 , the mobile terminal  110  searches for an accessible AP of a DLNA network. If an accessible AP is located, the mobile terminal  110  is assigned an IP address to participate in the DLNA network from the AP in step  403 . 
     In step  405 , the mobile terminal  110  searches for an accessible DMS in the DLNA network. If the accessible DMS granting is identified, the mobile terminal  110  collects information about the DLNA network in step  407 ,. For example, the information of the DLNA network includes location information, DMS information, content information, etc. The mobile terminal  110  can acquire the location information directly, or acquire the location information from the DLNA network. If no accessible DMS is identified, the mobile terminal  110  performs step  401  and its subsequent steps, and attempts to participate in another DLNA network. 
     In step  409 , the mobile terminal  110  transmits the collected DLNA network information to the web server  120 . 
     In step  411 , the web server  120  registers the DLNA network information received from the mobile terminal  110 . 
     As described above, while participating in the DLNA network, the mobile terminal  110  collects the DLNA network information, and provides the collected DLNA network information to the web server  120 . If the DLNA network information changes, the mobile terminal  110  transmits the changed DLNA network information to the web server  120 , and the web server  120  updates the stored the DLNA network information. 
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for registering DLNA network information in a web server of a DLNA-network information sharing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically,  FIG. 5  provides a more detailed description of step  411 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , in step  411 - 1 , the web server  120  checks if received DLNA network information already exists in a  1 st web site. When the received DLNA network information already exists in the  1 st web site, the web server  120  registers the received DLNA network information to a  2 nd web site in step  411 - 3 . However, when the received DLNA network information does not exist in the  1 st web site, the web server  120  registers the received DLNA network information to the  1 st web site in step  411 - 5 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a diagram for a web screen on which a terminal searches a DMS according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , one of the terminals  130 , which are not located in a radio radius of a DLNA network, accesses a web site and requests to search for a DMS located in a corresponding area. With reference to DLNA network information stored in the web server  120 , the web site shows a search area with a map indicating DMS positions located on the map. The web site provides information of an address for each DMS, content, etc. 
     Further, with reference to social information linked to the DLNA network information stored in the web server  120 , the web site provides social information, e.g., an evaluation grade, about the searched DMS. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates communication in a DLNA-network information sharing system according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , in step  701 , the mobile terminal  110  uploads a post including a URL address linking a corresponding DMS or content, to the web server  120 . 
     In step  703 , the web server  120  connects the uploaded post and pre-stored DLNA network information relating with the uploaded posting. 
     If social information about the posting is generated in step  705 , the web server  120  links the social information and the connected DLNA network information and post and stores the linked information in step  707 . 
     Using the social information, the web server  120  can provide an index of user satisfaction, reliability, and the like for a corresponding DLNA network and a post. For example, if an average of evaluation grades put by users on a post is equal to or greater than a threshold value, a web site adds a grade of a satisfaction or reliability for the post and a DLNA network connecting with the post. The grade of the satisfaction or reliability for the DLNA network is in line with a grade of a satisfaction or reliability for a corresponding DMS or content. 
     Further, if a new post is registered, the web server  120  searches for a similar post to the new post. Because the new post contains information about a corresponding DLNA network, the web server  120  can search for a post containing similar content to the new posting. If a similar post exists, the web server  120  increases a grade of a satisfaction or reliability for a corresponding DLNA network. 
     As described above, a DLNA-network information sharing system according to an embodiment of the present invention can share information of a corresponding DLNA network on the web. 
     While the present invention has been shown and described with reference to certain embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.