Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 12/947,448 filed Nov. 16, 2010, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0000445, filed on Jan. 5, 2010 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to providing contents, and more particularly, to providing contents for devices connected to communicate with one another. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Prices of electronic devices have been decreasing, but consumer&#39;s purchasing power has been increasing. Thus, it has become common for one user to own a number of electronic devices. 
         [0006]    Moreover, with the development of digital and networking technologies, one network has been generated by bundling a number of electronic devices. The electronic devices forming the network are mutually operated and generate many new functions which were not possible on an individual basis. 
         [0007]    Accordingly, it is necessary to find ways for a user to connect their electronic devices and to enjoy more diverse and convenient functions. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    Exemplary embodiments address at least the above problems and/or disadvantages and other disadvantages not described above. Also, exemplary embodiments are not required to overcome the disadvantages described above, and an exemplary embodiment may not overcome any of the problems described above. 
         [0009]    The present invention provides a method for converting a sink device, which suspends a content transmission to the sink device, transmits the content to another sink device, thus converting a sink device to output the contents, and an apparatus for providing the content using the same. 
         [0010]    According to an exemplary embodiment, a sink device conversion method of a plurality of sink devices which output a content transmitted from a source device includes: receiving a sink device conversion command from a first sink device; transmitting the content to a second sink device, if a sink device conversion approval is received from the second sink device; and transmitting a control authority related to a content provision from the first sink device to the second sink device. 
         [0011]    The sink device conversion method may further include suspending the transmission of the content to the first sink device after the receiving operation. 
         [0012]    The transmitting may include transmitting the content after the moment when the transmission was suspended in the suspension operation. 
         [0013]    The sink device conversion method may further include transmitting a turn-off request to the first sink device after the suspension operation. 
         [0014]    The sink device conversion method may further include transmitting a turn-on request to the second sink device after the receiving operation. 
         [0015]    The sink device conversion command may be a command which makes the source device convert from the first sink device to the second sink device and transmit the content to the second sink device. 
         [0016]    The source device is a content-play device which plays contents including at least one of a video signal and an audio signal, and the plurality of sink devices comprise a video device and an audio device. The transmitting of the content comprises separating the contents into a video signal and an audio signal; transmitting the video signal into the video device; and transmitting the audio signal into the audio device. 
         [0017]    According to another exemplary embodiment, a content-providing apparatus which converts a sink device outputting a content includes: a communication interface which enables communication between the content-providing apparatus and at least a first sink device and a first sink device; and a control unit which receives a sink device conversion command from the first sink device through the communication interface, transmits the content to the second sink device through the communication interface if a sink device conversion approval is received from the second sink device through the communication interface, and transfers a control authority related to a content provision from the first sink device to the second sink device. 
         [0018]    The control unit may suspend content transmission to the first sink device if the sink device conversion command is received from the first sink device. 
         [0019]    The control unit may transmit the content to the second sink device through the communication interface after the moment when the transmission was suspended. 
         [0020]    The control unit may transmit a turn-off request to the first sink device through the communication interface after suspending the content transmission to the first sink device. 
         [0021]    The control unit transmits a turn-on request to the second sink device though the communication interface if the sink device conversion command is received from the first sink device. 
         [0022]    The sink device conversion command is a command which makes the content-providing apparatus convert from the first sink device to the second sink device and transmit the content to the second sink device. 
         [0023]    The content includes at least one of a video signal and an audio signal, the second sink device includes a video device and an audio device, and the control unit transmits the video signal separated from the content to the video device through the communication interface and transmits the audio signal to the audio device through the communication interface. 
         [0024]    According to another exemplary embodiment, a method for converting from one sink device to another sink device includes: transmitting data to the sink device; receiving from the sink device a conversion request; and transmitting data to the other sink device based on the conversion request. 
         [0025]    The method may further include suspending the transmission of data to the sink device after the conversion request is received. Also, the method may further include receiving a conversion approval from the other sink device after the conversion request is received. 
         [0026]    The method may further include transferring a control authority from one sink device to another sink device. 
         [0027]    According to yet another exemplary embodiment, a source apparatus for converting a destination sink device to another destination sink device, includes: a communication interface which transmits content to the destination sink device and receives from the sink device a conversion request; and a control unit which receives and processes the conversion request. The communication interface may transmit the content to the other sink device based on the conversion request. 
         [0028]    The control unit may suspend the transmission of data to the sink device after the conversion request is received. 
         [0029]    According to an aspect of an exemplary embodiment, a control authority may be transferred from the sink device to the other sink device. 
         [0030]    According to another aspect of an exemplary embodiment, the source apparatus may receive a conversion approval from the other device after the conversion request is received. 
         [0031]    According to still another exemplary embodiment, a method for converting from a first sink device to another sink device, includes: transmitting data to the sink device; receiving from the sink device a conversion request to transmit data to a second sink device; receiving from a third sink device a conversion approval; and transmitting the data to the third sink device. The method may further include transferring a control authority from the sink device to the third sink device. 
         [0032]    According to still another exemplary embodiment, a source apparatus for converting a destination sink device to another destination sink device, includes: a communication interface which transmits data to the destination sink device and receives, from the destination sink device, a conversion request to transmit data to a second destination sink device; and a control unit which receives and processes the conversion request, wherein the communication interface transmits the data to a third destination sink device after receiving a conversion approval from the third destination sink device. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0033]    The above and/or other aspects will be more apparent by describing certain exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0034]      FIG. 1  is a drawing of a home network to which exemplary embodiments are applicable; 
           [0035]      FIG. 2  is a detailed block diagram of a Blu-ray Disk Player (BDP) illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0036]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart provided to explain a sink device conversion method according to an exemplary embodiment; 
           [0037]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart provided to explain a sink device conversion method according to another exemplary embodiment; and 
           [0038]      FIG. 5  is a drawing of another home network to which exemplary embodiments are applicable. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
       [0039]    Certain exemplary embodiments will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0040]    In the following description, the same drawing reference numerals are used for the same elements even in different drawings. The matters defined in the description, such as detailed construction and elements, are provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of exemplary embodiments. Thus, it is apparent that exemplary embodiments can be carried out without those specifically defined matters. Also, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the exemplary embodiments with unnecessary detail. 
       1. Home Network to which the Present Invention is Applicable 
       [0041]      FIG. 1  illustrates a home network to which exemplary embodiments are applicable. The home network in  FIG. 1  comprises 1) a Blu-ray Disk Player (BDP)  100  and a DTV-1  210  located in a Room-1  10 , 2) a DTV-2  220  located in a Room-2  20 , and 3) a DTV-3  230  located in a Room-3  30 . 
         [0042]    The BDP  100  is a kind of source device which provides contents recorded in a Blu-ray (BD). The DTVs  210 ,  220 ,  230  are kinds of sink devices which output contents provided by the BDP  100  working as a source device and provide the contents for a user. 
         [0043]    The DTVs  210 ,  220 ,  230  are connected to the BDP  100  to communicate with each other. Accordingly, contents and a control command/request can be transmittable between the DTVs  210 ,  220 ,  230  and the BDP  100 . 
         [0044]    In detail, the BDP  100  can send contents generated by playing a BD to the DTVs  210 ,  220   230 . Moreover, the BDP  100  can generate a command/request to control the DTVs  210 ,  220 ,  230  and send it to the DTVs  210 ,  220 ,  230 . Moreover, a control command on the BDP  100  can be input into the DTVs  210 ,  220 ,  230  by a user and can be sent to the BDP  100 . 
       2. BDP Detailed Configuration 
       [0045]      FIG. 2  is a detailed block diagram of the BDP  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the BDP  100  comprises a BD playing unit  110 , an audio/video (AV) processing unit  120 , a communication interface  130 , a control unit  140 , and a user-input unit  150 . 
         [0046]    The BD playing unit  110  reads content data recorded on the BD and sends it to the AV processing unit  120 . 
         [0047]    The AV processing unit  120  performs necessary signal processing on the content data sent from the BD playing unit  110 . In detail, the AV processing unit  120  decompresses the content data sent from the BD playing unit  110 . Moreover, the AV processing unit  120  can also separate the decompressed content into a video signal and an audio signal. 
         [0048]    The communication interface  130  is connected to the previously-mentioned DTVs  210 ,  220 ,  230  to communicate with each other. A content control command/request is exchanged between the BDP  100  and the DTVs  210 ,  220 ,  230  through the communication interface  130 . 
         [0049]    The control unit  140  controls the functions of the BDP  100  in general based on 1) a control command input from the user-input unit  150 , or 2) a control command received from the DTVs  210 ,  220 ,  230  through the communication interface unit  130 . 
         [0050]    The control command ‘1)’ refers to a control command directly input by a user into the BDP  100  unit to control the BDP unit  100 . The control command ‘2)’ refers to a control command indirectly input by a user through the DTVs  210 ,  220 ,  230 , to control the BDP unit  100 . 
         [0051]    Particularly, the control unit  140  controls the BDP  100  and the DTVs  210 ,  220 ,  230  to ensure that one DTV, which is a sink device where the contents read by the BD playing unit  110  and signal processed by the AV processing unit  120  are output, can be changed to a different DTV where contents can be output. 
         [0052]    In detail, the control unit  140  controls a sink device which outputs contents, wherein the sink device can be changed, or converted among the DTVs  210 ,  220 ,  230 . 
       3. Sink Device Conversion Process #1 
       [0053]    Sink device conversion is performed based on the command of a user. A process where the control unit  140  controls a sink device conversion, if a user commands a sink device to be converted from the DTV-1  210  to the DTV-2  220 , will be explained in detail with reference to  FIG. 3 . 
         [0054]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart provided to explain a sink device conversion method according to an exemplary embodiment. A sink device conversion command is input by a user through the sink device DTV-1  210  where contents are being output, and is sent to the BDP  100 . 
         [0055]    As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , if a sink device conversion command (from the DTV-1 to the DTV-2) is received from DTV-1 ( 210 ) (S 320 —Y) while contents are being transmitted to the DTV-1  210  (S 310 ), the control unit  140  suspends the ongoing content transmission which has been going on in operation S 310 . (S 330 ) 
         [0056]    In operation S 330 , content playing/transmission is suspended automatically in the BDP  100 , and outputting is suspended automatically in the DTV-1  210 . 
         [0057]    To resume the content playing/transmitting and outputting, the user needs to move from Room-1 to Room-2 and input a sink device conversion approval into the DTV-2  220 . The DTV-2  220  sends the sink device conversion approval input by the user, to the BDP  100 . 
         [0058]    When the sink device conversion approval is received from the DTV-2  220  (S 340 —Y), the control unit  140  controls the BD playing unit  110  and the AV processing unit  120  to resume the playing of contents. The control unit  140  controls the communication interface unit  130  to transmit the played contents to the DTV-2  220  (S 350 .) 
         [0059]    If a sink device conversion approval is received from the DTV-2  220  (S 340 —Y), it means that the user is ready to watch the contents through the DTV-2  220 . 
         [0060]    Content transmission in operation S 350  takes place after the moment when the transmission is suspended in operation S 330 ; i.e., to enable a user to watch the contents seamlessly. 
         [0061]    Since then, the control unit  140  transfers a BDP control authority from the DTV-1  210  to DTV-2  220  (S 360 .) The DTV, which has the control authority, is a DTV where a user command on the BDP unit  100  such as commands to play, pause, fast forward and rewind a content in the BDP  100  are input. 
         [0062]    The control authority is transferred from the DTV-1  210  to DTV-2  220 . Therefore, a user can input a command about the BDP unit  100  through the DTV-2  220 , not through the DTV-1  210 . Accordingly, the BDP unit  100  receives a command related to the performance of its functions from the DTV-2  220 , not from the DTV-1  210 . 
       4. Sink Device Conversion Process #2 
       [0063]    Thus far, a case has been described where a user inputs a sink device conversion approval into the DTV which is commanded to be converted into a sink device. In other words, the case has been described that, 1) after a user commands to convert a sink device from the DTV-1  210  to the DTV-2  220 , 2) a user inputs a sink device conversion approval into the DTV-2  220  after moving to the Room-2. 
         [0064]    However, a case can occur where a user inputs a sink device conversion approval into another DTV, not the DTV which is commanded by a user to convert a sink device, because of ignorance or misunderstanding of the user. For example, 1) a user commands to covert a sink device from the DTV-1  210  to the DTV-2  220 , 2) but the user misidentifies the DTV-3  230  located in the Room-3 as the DTV-2  220 , thus moving to the Room-3 and inputting a sink device conversion approval into the DTV-3  230 . 
         [0065]    In this case, the control unit  140  receives a sink device conversion approval from the DTV-3  230 , not from the DTV-2  220 . In such a case, a process of sink device conversion approval will be explained below in detail. 
         [0066]    Detailed explanation on operation S 410  or operation S 430  in  FIG. 4  can be inferred from the explanation on operation S 310  or S 330  illustrated in  FIG. 3 , and is omitted. 
         [0067]    A sink device conversion approval is received from the DTV-3  230 , not from the DTV-2  220 , the control unit  140  transmits a request for confirmation on, whether to convert a sink device to the DTV-3  230  not to the DTV-2  220 , to the DTV-3  230  (S 450 ). 
         [0068]    The DTV-3  330 , which receives the conversion confirm request transmitted in operation S 450 , displays a text message on a display to ask whether to ‘convert a sink device to the DTV-3  230 , not to the DTV-2  220 .’ The DTV-3  330  receives a response from a user about the message and sends it in response to the confirm request from the BDP  100 . 
         [0069]    If a “positive” confirm response is received from the DTV-3  230  (S 460 —Y), the control unit  140  controls the BD playing unit  110  and the AV processing unit  120  to resume the playing of contents, and controls the communication interface unit  130  to send the played contents to the DTV-3  230  (S 470 ). 
         [0070]    If a confirm response is received from the DTV-3  230 , a user confirms that a sink device has been converted to the DTV-3  230 , not to the DTV-2  220 . Thus, the contents are transmitted to the DTV-3  230  in operation S 470 . 
         [0071]    Afterwards, the control unit  140  transfers a control authority on the BDP  100  from the DTV-1  210  to the DTV-3  230  (S 480 ). Accordingly, the BDP  100  receives a command related to its functions from the DTV-3  230 , not from the DTV-1  210 . 
         [0072]    If a “negative” confirm response is received from the DTV-3  230  (S 460 —N), the control unit  140  performs operation S 340  in  FIG. 3 . Accordingly, if a sink device conversion approval is received from the DTV-2  220  (S 340 —Y), the control unit  140  performs operations S 350  and S 360 . 
       5. Automatic Power Management 
       [0073]    After operation S 330  in  FIG. 3  and operation S 430  in  FIG. 4 , the control unit  140  can transmit a ‘power turn-off’ command to the DTV-1  310 . That is to automatically turn off the power of the DTV-1  310  where contents will not be output, because the content output is suspended now. 
         [0074]    After operation S 330  in  FIG. 3  or operation S 430  in  FIG. 4 , the control unit  140  can transmit a ‘power turn-on’ command to the DTV-2  320 . That is to automatically turn on the power of the DTV-1  310  where the contents will be output. 
       6. Providing Contents Separately 
       [0075]    In the above examples, contents are output through one DTV. However, that is just an example. Accordingly, it is possible to realize that the contents can be transmitted to more than two sink devices and be output. For example, the contents, which were output from the DTV-1  210 , can be transmitted to both of DTV-2  220  and DTV-3  230  and be output. 
         [0076]    Moreover, a video signal and a audio signal contained in the contents can be transmitted to respective sink devices and be output. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , under the home network, the BDP  100  can separate the contents into a video signal and an audio signal, 1) send the video signal to the DTV- 220 , and 2) the audio signal to a HTS (Home Theater System)  240 . In this case, a user can watch a video through the DTV-2  220  in the Room-2, and listen to an audio through the HTS  240 . 
       7. Variations 
     (1) Network 
       [0077]    The home networks in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 5  are examples of networks to which exemplary embodiments are applicable. Exemplary embodiments are not limited to the illustrated home network and can also be applicable to a different network from the illustrated one. 
         [0078]    The devices mentioned in the home network assumed can be connected by a physical connection, but that is just an example for a better explanation. They can also be connected in a wireless manner. 
       (2) Source Device, Sink Device 
       [0079]    The BDP mentioned in the above examples is a kind of source device and can be replaced with other kinds of devices other than the BDP. DTV and HTS are kinds of sink devices, therefore they can also be replaced with other kinds of devices. 
         [0080]    As explained thus far, according to exemplary embodiments, a user can suspend the contents being transmitted to a sink device, transmit the contents to another sink device which the user wants, and change the sink device that outputs the contents. Accordingly, the user can convert the sink device to be provided with the contents, freely, so that the user enjoys more convenience. 
         [0081]    The foregoing exemplary embodiments and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The present teaching can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. Also, the description of the exemplary embodiments is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims, and many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Technology Category: h