FR3022725A1 - METHOD FOR MANAGING THE RESTITUTION OF DIGITAL CONTENTS - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing the rendering, by an offset device (CL), of contents received from a content server (SCNT), including a first main content and a second secondary content, characterized in that it comprises a step of receiving the first content and the second content, and routing the contents to a first rendering device (TV) and a second rendering device (MOB1, MOB2), respectively.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to a method for managing the restitution of contents by a receiver device able to receive a content and to require a restitution of the content. The receiving device may take the form of an electronic key (in English, dongle) connected to the rendering device and provided with a communication function, for example wireless WiFi type, to be able to connect to a network, for example a local network.

State of the art With the development of networks and mobile devices, it is now possible to render digital multimedia content (video, audio, etc.) on a mobile device of a user, for example a smartphone or a tablet. digital.

However, in a number of situations, and especially when the user of the mobile device is in a local network, it is more pleasant for him to return the multimedia content, for example a film, on a television set or on another terminal of the local network, for example a computer, having a larger screen than the mobile device. By "rendering" means here the provision of content for the user: viewing, display, sound reproduction, etc. It is recalled here that a local network, also called home network, is a computer network that connects together, with or without wires, terminals (computers, printing peripherals, playback, storage, etc.). A home network generally comprises a router equipment, also commonly called home gateway, or service gateway, an intermediate element for redirecting or routing data packets between the different terminals and the networks connected to it. Such a home network 3022725 2 often connects the different terminals using WiFi technology. It is recalled here that the name Wifi (for "Wireless Fidelity") brings together wireless transmission technologies to create wireless computer networks based on the IEEE 802.11 family standards.

5 As the screen of the mobile device is often small, and the speakers of poor quality, it is not pleasant to return multimedia content type. In addition, it is difficult to render such content on the screen of a mobile device while using it to other functions, such as the management of telephone calls, text messages, and so on.

It is therefore interesting, from several points of view, to deport the restitution of the multimedia content to another device called an offset device. For this purpose have recently appeared products that allow to restore multimedia content on a PC (personal computer) or TV (TV) while unloading the mobile device decoding tasks, 15 display, sound reproduction, etc., inherent in the restitution of a digital content. In this category, there are devices able to render real-time digital content proposed in the form of flows, in the form of an electronic key plugging into a multimedia port type HDMI 20 (High-Definition English). Multimedia Interface, an electrical and logical interface allowing the transfer of uncompressed digital multimedia data in high definition) from a television. Multimedia content from an application, such as for example a progressive download application on the Wide Area Network (WAN), such as for example YouTube ©, is selected by the user on a first terminal connected to the local network (smartphone, tablet, computer, etc.) and played back on the TV via the remote device. In this configuration, the main steps at the level of the offset device are the following, assuming that pairing has been performed: - opening of a communication channel, for example point-to-point, between the portable device and the offset device; - Reception by the offset device of an identifier of a digital content to be restored; 5 - access, by the offset device, to the content identified on the content server. A problem is that the return of a controlled content may be accompanied by secondary content "not ordered" of the type advertising content, all on one screen.

Advertising content may precede the return of controlled content; or be displayed at the same time. As a result, the ordered content delays the return of the ordered content, or alter the rendering of the ordered content when the non-controlled content is restored together with the controlled content, the screen displaying both the controlled content and the content. not ordered. In addition, the content not ordered may not be suitable for people viewing the screen. The invention improves the situation. According to a first functional aspect, the invention relates to a method for managing the rendering, by an offset device, of contents received from a content server, including a first main content and a second secondary content, characterized in that it comprises following reception of the first content and the second content, a step of routing the contents to a first rendering device and a second rendering device, respectively. Thus, according to the invention, the contents received by the remote device are routed to two different destinations, so as to defer the restitution of the contents on two separate rendering devices. As a result, the secondary content does not alter the restitution of the main content; moreover, the second content can be restored at the same time as the first content. It will be seen in the remainder of the description that the offset device performs a step of receiving a restitution command in connection with the main content, originating from at least one control device, and a step of executing the command so as to obtain the first content and to deport the restitution of this first content on a rendering device. Several second devices may be available. In this configuration, according to a first particular embodiment of the invention, the second rendering device chosen is the one closest in distance from the offset device. In this way, if the second content relates to information related to the first content (for example, if the first content is a film, information on the title, the names of the actors, etc.), this second content , preferably one which displays the first content on the first device, will probably be transmitted to a second device close to the user viewing the first content. The offset device comprises communication means for communication in a coverage area; according to a variant of the first mode, the second device is located in the coverage area. A second rendering device may correspond to an identifier. In this configuration, according to a second particular embodiment of the invention, which may be implemented alternatively or cumulatively with the previous embodiment, the offset device stores an identifier of the second destination device of the second content. In this way, the one viewing the first content does not necessarily know the routing of the second content to the second device, it may be useful to achieve parental control; indeed, it happens that the second content, advertising or other are unrelated to the first content; as a result it happens that the second content is inappropriate for example to a young audience. The offset on a second device ensures that the first content and the second content will not be rendered on one screen and that the return of the second content, which may be unsuitable for a young audience, is performed on a second judiciously chosen device; the latter is for example a device of a person of age, for example a father. According to a third particular embodiment of the invention, which can be implemented alternatively or cumulatively with the previous one, a command to restore the first content from the control device includes an identifier of the second retrieval device to second content; the identifier is then used during the routing step. This third mode makes it possible to designate a second rendering device of choice. In addition, in this third mode, the identifier of the second device is known only to the control device and the offset device; the latter most often belong to the same user or group of users; the content provider is therefore never aware of the second device that will receive the second content, the anonymity of the second device is thus preserved. According to a fourth embodiment, which can be implemented alternately or cumulatively with the previous embodiment, the routing to a second device is based on the second received content and user profiles. The offset device stores, for example, profiles of users of second devices; and the routing to a second device is based on the second received content and the profiles. In this way, when the second content is not directly related to the first content, for example if the first content is a movie and the second content is an advertisement relating to an article visible on the first content (eg a dress worn by an actress in a scene rendered on the screen), the second content is routed to the second device associated with a user profile that may be interested in the second content.

According to a material aspect, the invention relates to an offset device comprising a first receiving module able to receive contents from a content server, a first main content and a second secondary content, characterized in that it comprises a routing module able to route the first and the second content received to a first rendering device and a second rendering device, respectively.

According to another material aspect, the invention relates to equipment including an offset device as defined above. According to another material aspect, the invention relates to a computer program comprising code instructions which when the program is executed by a processor performs the steps of the method defined above.

Such a program can use any programming language. It can be downloaded from a communication network and / or saved on a computer-readable medium. Of course, each of these devices comprises software means such as instructions of the aforementioned computer program, these instructions being executed by physical means such as at least one processor and a working memory. The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given by way of example and with reference to the appended drawings, in which: FIG. 1 represents a computer system on which is illustrated an exemplary embodiment of the invention; invention. Figure 2 shows the circuits of a mobile device and an offset device. Figures 3 and 4a illustrate a representative timing diagram of a first embodiment; Figures 3 and 4b illustrate a representative timing diagram of a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS EXPRESSING THE INVENTION FIG. 1 represents a SYS system comprising an SCNT content server capable of delivering content; the system also includes MOB1 and MOB2 devices, illustrated by means of two mobile devices namely smartphones; the system also includes an offset device CL which notably allows access to contents so as to be rendered on a TV rendering device. The number of offset devices is arbitrary. The same group of users, for example a family, may have several offset devices.

As explained in the preamble of the application, an offset device CL takes the form of an electronic key (in English, dongle) connected to the rendering device and provided with a communication function, for example wireless type WiFi to be able to connect to a communication network for example to a local network RES1 managed by a home gateway GTW. The content server can communicate with the gateway GTW via a second network RES2. In our example, this second network is a Wide Area Network (WAN), as opposed to a Local Area Network (LAN).

In our example, the mobile and offset devices are able to establish connections with the GTW service gateway connected to the second network RES2. The first network RES1 is for example an IP local area network (for Internet Protocol, designation of the base protocol for Internet type networks and by extension, name of the network itself) and the second network is for example of the ADSL type ( of the English Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line). The content server SCNT notably hosts content for provision to devices, in particular those of the local network RES1. The example chosen is for a content server; however, this server may be split into several pieces of equipment, for example, the contents may be stored in a separate database of the server. The GTW service gateway has a Wi-Fi communication function, or access point (AP), which enables it to communicate wirelessly with the devices of the local network. This access point includes a bidirectional radio module for transmitting or receiving signals in the local network. A device MOB1 or MOB2 is for example a personal computer (PC), a Smartphone (smart mobile phone), a PDA ("Personal Digital Assistant 10") a digital tablet, or a laptop, which may or may not be connected to a mobile network (not shown). A rendering device is for example a TV set. An application running on the mobile device MOB1 / MOB2, in our example a TV application of contents called "live", ie of type "15 television channel", or on demand, allows the user to select a multimedia content to be rendered on a television. The TV is associated with the offset device, connected in our example on a HDMI video port of the TV and is in the form of an electronic key (English, "dongle").

Following a selection of a specific function on the mobile device (for example a touch selectable key in the case of a touch screen), the multimedia content, said first content thereafter, is directed to the key and can to be played on the television; in other words the restitution of the contents is deported on the television. The electronic key can then connect itself to the SCN contents server of the WAN RES network on which it directly retrieves the contents, possibly with a higher quality or resolution than the initial one of the mobile (4), and in our example without going through the mobile device.

In our example, we will see that content is downloaded from the SCNT content server to an offset device via the GTW service gateway. Let us note here that the offsetting of the content has several advantages: 5 - The mobile device can be offloaded from a very resource consuming task (decoding, displaying the video, etc.) which enables it to render other functions for the user. at the same time (eg viewing a mail, processing a text message, etc.); the quality and / or resolution of the multimedia content may be higher on the TV than on the mobile device, thereby improving user comfort; - The mobile can serve as a remote control for basic functions related to the content, such as stop playback ("pause"), resume ("play"), volume control (silence "mute", increase 15 of volume "vol +", volume decrease "vol-"), etc. It is assumed that, in a previous step (not shown), the two devices, mobile and remote devices, both connected to the local network, i.e. to the GTW service gateway of the local network. . In our example, once both devices are connected to the network via the service gateway, they establish communication. To this end, the mobile device first proceeds to a discovery (D) of the presence on the network of one or more devices of this type. This discovery step corresponds to an operation well known to those skilled in the art, which can be implemented in the form of a request according to a local network protocol, for example the UPnP standard. It is recalled that the UPnP standard is intended to allow terminals to easily connect and communicate simply within a local network. It is a set of communication protocols based on the IP protocol and promulgated by the UPnP Forum ("UPnP Forum"). To control the terminals of the network, UPnP uses control points (abbreviated to CP).

A control point conventionally transmits to the various terminals of the network so-called discovery messages in order to retrieve a description of the terminals corresponding to the request. These discovery messages are most often issued in point-to-multipoint communication mode, also known as multicast mode, from the control point to the terminals. UPnP compliant terminal equipment responds to these request messages, and additionally transmits presence messages at regular intervals to indicate that it is active and connected on the network. The control point of the local network, which is located here on the mobile device emits multicast mode messages seeking equipment of a given type, here electronic offset keys. The key concerned responds to the discovery request. The mobile device concerned may choose a key (and therefore an associated TV or PC) among those discovered. A communication channel ("WebSocket" - WS) is established between the mobile device and the electronic key to exchange commands and / or data. The Websocket protocol makes it possible to provide bidirectional communications between a client and a server on a network using the HTTP (Hyper Text Transport Protocol) protocol, a client-server communication protocol developed for Internet networks and in particular the Web. By extension, WebSocket is a standard designating both a network protocol and a programming interface that can be used by an application on any client and web server. The protocol has been standardized by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in its specification RFC 6455 (reference "IETF Request for Comments: 6455") and the corresponding programming interface by W3C (reference: The Web Sockets API, W3C Candidate Recommendation 20 September 2012). Subsequently, when the user selects content (C) and presses the redirect key on the touch screen of the mobile device, the mobile device application requires the dongle to initiate the deport application of the mobile device. 3022725 11 the return of the content C identified by its identifier (C_ID); the identifier is then transformed into a URL, for example, http://www.myserveur.com/C_ID Then the electronic key accesses an SCNT content server in order to retrieve the digital content C_ID for example in Streaming mode, thanks to this URL. Streaming mode is by definition a continuous download of multimedia content. The electronic key makes a request by downloading in a first step a document describing the parameters of access to the service via the HTTP protocol, then accesses the content on the SCNT content server 10, transmits it to the TV rendering device and the service starts. actually, that is to say that the TV display device can receive and display the content C. During the download of the content, in our example, commands (CM) can be issued to the electronic key (pause, play , Fast forward, etc.) and status messages can be received from the electronic key (metadata, status of the offset device, etc.). FIG. 2 represents a hardware architecture of an offset device connected to a mobile device of the local network.

The mobile device MOB1 or MOB2 conventionally comprises memories M articulated around a CPU processor. The memories can be ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory), removable or fixed, etc. It communicates with the local network RES1 via the communication module (COMM) which enables it to connect with wires (via an Ethernet cable) or without wires (via a WiFI type radio channel, Bluetooth, Zigbee, etc.) to the GTW gateway or to another LAN device. As previously described, in our example, an ad-hoc point-to-point communication channel is used for an initial phase of establishing the session between a mobile device and an offset device.

This channel can be WIFi Direct, Bluetooth, etc. Then, according to one embodiment of the invention, the two devices dialogue in infrastructure mode via the gateway GTW. According to another embodiment of the invention, it is the mobile device that serves as a gateway in "tethering" mode and the two devices 5 dialogue in IF infrastructure mode without the service gateway. A mobile device (MOB1 or MOB2) for this purpose comprises an access point or tethering mode (TETH), which enables it to transform into a gateway, to communicate with the second network RES2 which can in this case be confused with the mobile IP network.

In our example, the mobile device further comprises a radio-mobile module (for example, UMTS) which enables it to communicate with a third network called mobile network of the UMTS network type. It finally includes a CDEP module responsible for controlling the offset, including communication with the offset device. The CDEP module, which may be software and / or hardware, is particularly capable of performing the following actions: choice of an offset device (among several), request for establishment of a point-to-point communication channel with this device for transmission of the identifiers of the local network, retrieval and storage of the identification of the remote device, selection of a content and transmission of an identifier of this content to the remote device, control of the return of the content, etc. . In our exemplary embodiment, a portion of the memory MEM is connected to the Wi-Fi access point and stores, among other things, the identification parameters of the home gateways to which the mobile device can access, the identification parameters and the association of home equipment at the access point when the mobile device is in "router" (tethering) mode (table of identifiers comprising the unique identifiers of the home terminals which have already been authorized to access the home network via the point d access, routing elements, etc.), the identification parameters of the local network offset devices (names, characteristics, etc.).

It also includes an HTTP type communication module for providing HTTP type communications, for example of the Websocket (WS) type; note that a WS type communication is possible on a Bluetooth link. All the modules communicate classically with each other via a data bus BUS1. In our example, the offset device also includes memories M articulated around a CPU processor. The memories can be ROM, RAM or other types. Part of the memory M stores, among other things, the identification parameters of the home gateways to which the offset device can be accessed and the identification of the offset device (for example, "dongle_number_36", or "key # 2"). . It communicates with the local network RES1 and the mobile device via the communication module (COMD) which enables it to connect wirelessly (WiFi) to the GTW service gateway in infrastructure mode (via the IF link) or directly to the device. 15 mobile (SP connection) in "WiFi direct" or Bluetooth mode. In our example, it is powered via a USB type serial interface. It also includes: - an application (DEP) responsible for communicating with a mobile device and also responsible for deporting the content. This module is in particular capable of establishing a communication, preferably private, with the mobile device via the COMD communication module, of accepting a request to search in streaming for a content identified by its identifier C_ID on the network instead. of the mobile device, to receive control commands of the restitution from the mobile device acting as a remote control, to transmit identification information, status, etc. A media player (MP) capable of rendering (receiving, decoding, preparing) streams in streaming mode and delivering them to the playback device (TV); the "media player" includes inter alia a set of offloading device (audio, video, etc.) capable of decoding the multimedia contents, as well as a communication interface with the mobile device 3022725 14 able to interpret the orders coming from this one (pause, backspace, volume control, etc.) - an interface module with the rendering device (HDMI) capable of physically and logically interfacing with the television to transmit the multimedia content (audio and video) decoded. a communication module of the HTTP type. All the modules communicate classically with each other via a BUS2 bus. When a controlled content, said first main content is transmitted, the content provider may require the transmission of a second content, called secondary content, to the same recipient, here the key CL. Secondary content is for example an advertisement, information about the main content, etc. The second content is transmitted either by the provider or by another entity, for example an entity belonging to an advertising agency. When the restitution of the contents is carried out on the same device of restitution, the second content comes to alter the restitution of the first content. The alteration may come from the fact that the second content precedes the first in time. The alteration may also be due to the fact that the second content is displayed on the same screen in a box on the screen; the box being smaller in size than the screen and covering part of the first content. According to the invention, when the key CL receives a second content linked to a first content, for example simultaneously, the second content is routed to another rendering device than the one to which the first content is routed (or transferred). In other words, the contents are routed to a first rendering device and a second rendering device, respectively. A first embodiment will now be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4a. This first embodiment involves a single mobile device MOB1. In this mode, the mobile device plays both a role of control device capable of controlling the deportation device the return of a first content, and a role of rendering device to restore the second content.

5 The user tries to display on the screen of the rendering device a first content whose prior selection has been made on the mobile device: using an application on his mobile device, in our example a TV application that has been previously provided by the network operator and / or services operator, the user selects multimedia content (audio, video, etc.) available on a content server. The content server is according to this example in the WAN network but it could, according to another example, be located in an enterprise local area network, for example at the level of the service gateway or any other equipment capable of hosting a server. such content server.

The steps of this first mode are the following: During a first step ET11, a user accesses, via the TV application, a catalog of audiovisual contents. In this catalog, the user selects, via the first mobile device MOB1, a content C1, for example a video.

In a second step ET12, the mobile device MOB1 receives the CLID identifier. Note that obtaining a content identifier could be obtained through other devices such as the offset device. the offset device could also be the place of selection of a content and reception of the identifier C1 ID. Then, during a third step ET13, the application of the mobile device requires the offset device to run EXE the offset application, so as to download and return the content C1 identified by an identifier 3022725 16 CLID; A URL is created including the C1_ID of the content. The address is for example: http: // wwwmyserveurcom / requesthtml? Cl ID Then, in a fourth step ET14, the electronic key CL receives a request including the URL and processes this request. Note that the address could be generated by the offset device CL. In a fifth step ET15, the key CL attempts to access the content Cl stored on the content server SCNT through the URL described above.

The TCL download takes place from the content server to the first key CL. The key receives the contents during a sixth step ET16. In our example, in a seventh step ET17, the content server downloads both the requested content C1, said first content, and a second secondary content C2, for example an advertisement.

In a sixth step ET16, the received contents are, inter alia, decoded by the first key and transmitted to the TV set and the mobile device MOB1 to be restored, respectively. In our example, the contents are downloaded in streaming mode which corresponds by definition to a continuous download of multimedia contents. In this configuration, the electronic key CL makes a request by downloading in a first step a document describing the parameters of access to the service via the HTTP protocol, then accesses the content on the content server SCNT. A second embodiment that may be implemented with the first mode, or independently of the first, will now be described with reference to the same Figure 3 and Figure 4b. In this second mode, several mobile devices MOB1 and MOB2 are involved in the process.

In this second mode, a second mobile device MOB2 other than the control device MOB1 is chosen to restore the second content. In FIG. 4b, the second device MOB2 is selected to restore the second content C2.

The selection of the second mobile device MOB2 can be done in several ways. In a first way, the second device is chosen according to the distance separating it from the offset device. In our example, the chosen mobile device is the one closest in distance from the offset device. The method for locating a device can be any; this can be a means of localization using GPS positioning (Global Positioning System); in this configuration, the offset device obtains the GPS coordinates of the second devices; knowing its own location, the offset device can deduce the second closest device. Other technologies can be used, such as Bluetooth technology (BT 4.0 LE (BLE)). In a second way, assuming that a rendering device is associated with an identifier, the second device is chosen according to this identifier. This identifier is either stored in the memory M of the offset device or supplied to the offset device before the selection operation; it can be provided by the control device during the second step ET12 or ET22. In a third way, the second device is chosen according to the nature of the second content and user profiles of the second devices, respectively. The selection can be made either in the network, by the content provider, or in the home network for example in the remote device, or even on the home gateway. In the case where the selection is made in the offset device, the offset device stores user profiles of the terminals. Thus, the offset device routes the second content to a selected terminal judiciously based on the second received content and profiles. If the second content is an advertisement concerning a product or service of interest to women (for example a dress), this advertisement is routed for example to a woman's device; whereas if the advertisement concerns a car, it will probably be more interesting to a man than a woman; the offset device then routes the second content to the device of a man. In the case where the selection is made outside the home network, for example by the content provider, the latter is aware of the user profiles. In this configuration, the provider includes in the stream at least a second terminal identifier that is destined for the second content. For the implementation of the invention, the offset device CL comprises a routing module RT adapted to route the first and second content received to a first rendering device and a second rendering device, respectively. The routing module is connected to the bus 2 with reference to FIG. 2. It should be noted that, in the present application, the term module can correspond as well to a software component as to a hardware component or a set of hardware and software components. , a software component itself corresponding to one or more computer programs or subprograms or more generally to any element of a program adapted to implement a function or a set of functions as described for them. modules concerned. In the same way, a hardware component corresponds to any element of a hardware set (or hardware) able to implement a function or a set of functions for the module concerned (integrated circuit, smart card, memory card, etc.).

Claims (8)

REVENDICATIONS1. A method of managing the reproduction, by an offset device (CL), of contents (C1, C2) received from a content server (SCNT), including a first main content (C1) and a second secondary content (C2), characterized in that it comprises a step of receiving (ET16) the first content and the second content, and routing (ET17) contents to a first rendering device (TV) and a second rendering device (MOB1, MOB2) , respectively. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that, if several second devices (MOB1, MOB2) are available, the second device chosen is the one closest in distance from the offset device (CL). 3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that a second rendering device corresponds to an identifier, and in that the offset device stores an identifier of the second destination device of the second content. 4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that a restitution command from a control device includes an identifier of the second restitution device recipient of the second content, and in that the identifier is used when the routing step. 5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the routing to a second device is based on the second received content and user profiles. 6. An offset device (CL) comprising a first receiving module adapted to receive contents from a content server, a first main content and a second secondary content, characterized in that it comprises a suitable routing module (RT). routing the first and second received contents to a first rendering device and a second rendering device, respectively. 3022725 20 7. Equipment (TV) including an offset device as defined in claim 7. A computer program comprising code instructions which when the program is executed by a processor performs the steps of the method defined in claim 1.