CN101741663A - Information processing apparatus, information processing system, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

There is provided an information processing device including: an information acquisition unit for acquiring, from one or more external devices connected via a network, about processing to be performed by each external device and/or about a result of processing performed thereby processing information of each external device and information about functions that each external device can perform in cooperation with the information processing device; an information display unit for displaying processing information of each external device and program information about program content, and based on information on the functions of the devices, displaying one or more functions executable by each external device with respect to one or more program contents; and a function executing unit for causing the external device to execute the selected function with respect to the selected program contents.

Description

Information processing device, information processing system, information processing method and program

technical field

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program.

Background technique

Various systems have been devised in which a plurality of devices are connected to a home network installed in a home, and the plurality of devices work in cooperation with each other and perform remote control. Examples of these systems include a telephone connected to a telephone line and a television that cooperate with each other to enable automatic controls such as automatically turning off the volume of the television when an incoming call is received.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-319960 discloses a system including a home server connected to a home network, wherein the home server has information on cooperation devices and cooperation control information to enable cooperation between devices on the home network. In this system, a home server stores, for example, information on each device and information on the content of operations (which can be realized by one or more devices that cooperate with each other), and the devices connected to the home network are associated with each other based on the above information , so that the devices cooperate with each other.

Contents of the invention

Since the system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-319960 requires a home server that allows devices to cooperate with each other, if there is no home server or if the home server does not have any information about devices to cooperate with each other, each Devices cannot cooperate with each other.

Alternatively, each device may be configured to have information for cooperating with each other so as to co-operate with each other without relying on any server. In this case, if one of the plurality of devices is replaced with a new device due to replacement purchase or the like, the other devices may not be able to achieve cooperation since the other devices do not have any information about the new device. In order to prevent this failure, an additional mechanism is required to update the information on the cooperative device stored in the old device.

Further, when the devices cooperate with each other, since each device has an individual interface, it is necessary for the user to operate each device individually. Therefore, the user is required to perform troublesome operations, which leads to erroneous operations and unnecessarily increases the convenience of the system. For example, when a plurality of devices cooperate with each other in a system including a plurality of recording devices, a user performs recording and timer recording operations for each recording device. Therefore, the user is required to perform troublesome operations, and, for example, due to erroneous operations, the user may cause a plurality of recording devices to record the same program. Further, since program content is recommended based on preference information individually managed by each recording device, the user may not be able to properly select a program matching the user's preference.

In view of the aforementioned problems, it is desirable to provide new and improved information processing devices, information processing systems, information processing methods, and programs capable of cooperating without any dependency between information processing devices.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an information processing device including: an information acquisition unit configured to acquire, from one or more external devices connected via a network, information about processing to be executed by each external device and/or Processing information on the result of processing thus performed and information on functions that each external device can perform in cooperation with the information processing device; an information display unit for displaying the processing information on each external device and information on one or more program information of the program content, and based on the information on the function of each external device, display one or more functions that can be executed by each external device with respect to the one or more program contents; and a function execution unit for enabling the execution of The one or more external devices of the function selected from among the one or more functions perform the selected function with respect to the program content selected from among the one or more programs.

In the above configuration, processing information of one or more external devices and information on functions are acquired from the external device, and the acquired information is displayed together with program information on one or more program contents. Further, the user may cause the external device to perform a selected function with respect to the selected program content. Therefore, the information processing devices can cooperate without dependency between the respective information processing devices. Further, troublesome operations are not required, erroneous operations can be prevented, and convenience of cooperation between devices can be improved.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an information processing device including: an information providing unit for providing processing information about processing to be performed by the information processing device and/or about a result of the processing thus performed and Information about functions that the information processing device can perform in cooperation with one or more external devices is provided to the external device connected via a network; a function executing unit for selecting on the external device from among one or more program contents Program content that performs a function selected on the external device from among one or more functions, wherein the one or more external devices display processing information together with program information about the one or more program content, and based on the information about the function , displaying one or more functions that can be performed with respect to one or more program contents.

In the above configuration, processing information and information on functions are provided to the external device and displayed together with program information on program content. Further, the external device may perform the selected function with respect to the program content selected on the external device. Therefore, the information processing devices can cooperate without dependency between the respective information processing devices. Further, troublesome operations are not required, erroneous operations can be prevented, and convenience of cooperation between devices can be improved.

According to the above-described embodiments of the present invention, there is provided an information processing system including an information processing device. An information processing method applicable to the information processing apparatus according to the above-described embodiments of the present invention is provided. There is provided a computer-readable storage medium having recorded thereon a program causing a computer to execute the information processing method according to the above-described embodiments of the present invention.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an information processing device including: a receiving unit for receiving function information on one or more functions of the external device from an external device connected to the information processing device via a network and using a function display request for displaying a list of functions included in the function information; a display unit for displaying a list of functions of the external device included in the function information in response to the function display request; a selection receiving unit for receiving an indication indicated by the user from information of one or more functions selected among the list of functions displayed on the display unit; and a cooperative function executing unit for causing the external device to execute the one or more functions selected by the user.

In the above configuration, when a plurality of devices cooperate with each other, one device can display information on the function of the other device, and even if the devices do not store each other's information in advance, the other device can be executed by operating the device displaying the information. function.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an information processing device including: an external device searching unit for searching for external devices connected via a network; and a transmitting unit for transmitting information about one or more functions to the external device and a function display request for causing the external device to display a list of one or more functions.

In the above configuration, when a plurality of devices cooperate with each other, one device can display information on the function of the other device, and even if the devices do not store each other's information in advance, the other device can be executed by operating the device displaying the information. function.

An information processing method applicable to an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, there are provided an information processing device, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program capable of cooperating without any dependency between the respective information processing devices.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a home network system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a television receiver included in the system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a digital recorder included in the system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing a first example of cooperation processing performed on a home network system;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a function display screen displayed on a television receiver;

FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing a second example of cooperation processing performed on the home network system;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of a home network system according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a television receiver included in the system shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a digital recorder included in the system shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of a cooperation function;

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of definition information;

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the execution sequence of the cooperation function of the system;

13 is a diagram showing an exemplary execution of a cooperative function of collectively displaying recommendation information of a television receiver and a digital recorder on the television receiver by using a program recommendation service;

14 is a diagram showing an exemplary implementation of a cooperative function of collectively displaying recording/timed recording information of a television receiver and a digital recorder on the television receiver by using a program recording service; and

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an exemplary execution of a cooperative function on the digital recorder to perform a service of the digital recorder displayed together with program information on a television receiver.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that, in this specification and the appended drawings, structural elements that have substantially the same function and structure are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated description of these structural elements is omitted.

<First embodiment>

First, a home network system 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a home network system 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a home network system 10 according to the present embodiment includes a television receiver 100, a digital recorder 120, an audio device 150, etc., which are connected to a home network 12 etc. installed in a home. The television receiver 100 and the digital recorder 120 are examples of an information processing device and an external device according to the present embodiment, respectively.

In the embodiments described below, a television receiver and a digital recorder are explained as an example of information processing devices that cooperate with each other, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The information processing device and the external device may be, for example, an audio device, a home video game console, a mobile phone, a video camera, a digital still camera, and the like.

The television receiver 100 receives program content of a television program broadcast by a broadcasting station via a receiving antenna installed outdoors or via a video distribution IP network, and outputs the received program content. The television receiver 100 includes a display for displaying video and speakers for outputting audio. The television receiver 100 converts received data of program content into video and audio, and outputs the video and audio to a display and a speaker.

The television receiver 100 is connected to a device such as a digital recorder 120 via a home network 12 . For example, the television receiver 100 can search for devices in the home network 12 by using UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) and multicast DNS (Domain Name System), and can communicate directly therewith. For example, the television receiver 100 can acquire the IP address of the digital recorder 120, acquire information on the function of the digital recorder 120 and setting information, and notify another device of information on the function of the television receiver 100 itself, setting information, etc. .

Further, the television receiver 100 is connected to the Internet 14, and has a function of downloading an application program from the application program distribution server 16 on the Internet 14 and executing the application program.

The digital recorder 120 receives the program content of a TV program broadcast by a broadcasting station via a receiving antenna installed outdoors or via a video distribution IP network, and records the program content on a recording medium such as DVD and HDD, or reproduces the program content on a recording medium the content of the record. The digital recorder 120 is also connected to the home network 12 in the same manner as the television receiver 100, and can directly communicate with the television receiver 100 and the like via the home network 12.

[Configuration of Television Receiver 100]

Next, the configuration of the television receiver 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 . FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the television receiver 100 . As shown in Figure 2, the television receiver 100 includes a control unit 101, a broadcast receiving unit 103, a broadcast interface (I/F) 104, a controller receiving unit 106, a display 107, a display interface (I/F) 108, a speaker 109, Video output interface (I/F) 110, Internet communication interface (I/F) 111, home network communication interface (I/F) 112, cooperative function execution unit 113, external input/output interface (I/F) 114, contents A reproduction unit 115 , a display image generation unit 116 , and a display data storage unit 117 . Each unit of the television receiver 100 will be described below.

The control unit 101 is a functional unit connected to each functional unit via a connection bus 102 for performing the functions of the television receiver 100 by controlling each functional unit. For example, control unit 101 performs control so that content reproduction unit 115 and display image generation unit 116 convert data of program content received by broadcast reception unit 103 into a display image and then display the display image on display 107 . Alternatively, the control unit 100 controls other functional units to receive a request signal received by the controller receiving unit 106, and executes processing according to the request signal.

The broadcast receiving unit 103 receives program content via a receiving antenna or via a video distribution IP network, and transmits the program content to the connection bus 102 via the broadcast I/F 104. The controller receiving unit 106 receives a command signal transmitted by infrared rays or the like from the controller 105 operated by the user. The received command signal is transmitted to the control unit 101 via the connection bus 102 .

The display 107 is a display device for displaying images generated by the display image generating unit 116 such as program content. The display 107 receives a display image input through the display I/F 108, and displays the display image. The speaker 109 is an output device for outputting audio, and outputs audio input via the audio output I/F 110.

The Internet communication I/F 111 is an interface for communicating with the application distribution server 16 via the Internet 14. According to the control of the control unit 101, the Internet communication I/F 111 connects to the application program distribution server 16 located at the specified URL, and downloads the corresponding application program.

The home network communication I/F 112 is connected to the home network 12, and communicates with another device connected to the home network 12 such as the digital recorder 120. The home network communication I/F 112 transmits data received from an external device (such as a digital recorder 120) on the home network 12 to the control unit 101, and transmits data input from the control unit 101 to the external device via the home network 12 .

Upon receiving a function display request from an external device on the home network 12 , the cooperative function execution unit 113 executes a process of causing the requester external device to execute a function selected by the user among the cooperative functions displayed on the display 107 . Specifically, the cooperative function execution unit 113 notifies the external device of a function selected by the user (in the case of an embedded type, described later), and downloads an application corresponding to the selected function from the application distribution server 16 on the Internet 14. program, and executes the application program (in the case of a download type, described later).

The external input/output interface 114 is an interface for connection between the television receiver and devices such as a digital recorder 120 and a digital video camera. The external input/output interface 114 serves as an interface for inputting audio and video output from the digital recorder 120 , a digital video camera, etc., or externally outputting video or the like received by the television receiver 100 .

The content reproducing unit 115 performs a function of reproducing video of program content received by the broadcast receiving unit 103 . For example, the content reproducing unit 115 separates packets of program content received by the broadcast receiving unit 103 via the video distribution IP network into signals of audio, video, data, etc., decodes each of the separated signals, and then inputs the separated signals into to the display image generating unit 116 and the like.

After receiving video signals and data signals decoded by the content reproduction unit 115 ; display data stored in the display data storage unit 117 ; etc., the display image generation unit 116 generates a display image to be displayed on the display 107 . The display data storage unit 117 is a storage unit for storing display data such as various icons and characters to be displayed on the display 107 . The display data storage unit 107 also stores function display data received from an external device on the home network 12 via the home network communication I/F 112, and the like.

[Configuration of Digital Recorder 120]

The configuration of the television receiver 100 has been explained above. Next, the configuration of the digital recorder 120 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 . FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the digital recorder 120 . As shown in Figure 3, the digital recorder 120 includes a control unit 121, a broadcast receiving unit 123, a broadcast interface (I/F) 124, a controller receiving unit 126, a display 127, a display interface (I/F) 128, a DVD drive 130 , communication interface (I/F) 131, external device search unit 132, function display request unit 133, cooperation function data storage unit 134, external output interface (I/F) 135, content reproduction unit 136, content recording unit 137, content A data storage unit 138 , a timer recording processing unit 139 and a timer recording information storage unit 140 . Each unit of the digital recorder 120 will be explained below.

The control unit 121, broadcast receiving unit 123, broadcast I/F 124, controller receiving unit 126, display 127, and display interface I/F 128 have the same functions as the corresponding components of the television receiver 100 described above, so description will not be repeated.

The DVD drive 130 records data on the DVD 129 and reads the data recorded on the DVD 129. Through the control unit 121, the read data can be supplied to the content reproduction unit 136, or input to an external display device (eg, the television receiver 100) via the external output I/F 135.

The communication I/F 131 is connected to the home network 12, and communicates with another device (for example, the television receiver 100) connected to the home network 12. For example, the external device search unit 132 searches for another device on the home network 12 via the communication I/F 131 by using UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) and multicast DNS (Domain Name System, Domain Name System), And notifies the control unit 121 and the like of information on the searched device (eg, IP address).

The function display request unit 133 transmits a function display request to devices in the home network 12 searched by the external device search unit 132 via the communication I/F 131. The function display request includes notifying an external device of the functions of the digital recorder 120 (such as reproduction, recording, timer recording, and confirmation of timer recording information), and requesting the external device to display the information of these functions on a display or the like (provided on the external device). list.

The cooperative function data storage unit 134 stores information (cooperative function data) on functions that can be notified to external devices by the function display request unit 133 . Depending on the type of external device or the like, functions that can be notified are different, and therefore, cooperative function data is stored in association with the type of the corresponding external device. The function display request unit 133 acquires cooperation function data corresponding to the external device searched by the external device search unit 132 from the cooperation function data storage unit 134, and transmits the cooperation function data to the target external device via the communication I/F 131.

The cooperative function data stored in the cooperative function data storage unit 134 includes information on the type of the external device and information on functions to be displayed on the external device. The information on the type of the external device includes, for example, the model name or the type of the model of the external device (eg, digital recorder, game machine, audio device, mobile phone, and camera). Information on functions includes, for example, names of functions (eg, reproduction, recording, timer recording, and confirmation of timer recording information), types of functions (eg, application programs and settings), function IDs, and behavior information about functions. Behavior information on a function is information specifying an operation method when the function is selected on the external device. Behavior information on functions includes information indicating which of an embedded type for simply notifying information (eg, function ID) indicating a selected function, and a download type for downloading and executing The application corresponding to the selected function. In the case of the download type, the action information on the function further includes a URL indicating a location where the application was acquired, and the like.

The external output I/F 135 is an interface for outputting the display image and audio reproduced by the content reproduction unit 136 to a display device such as the television receiver 100. The content reproduction unit 136 performs, for example, data conversion and encoding/decoding processing for reproducing the DVD 129 loaded in the DVD drive 130 or content data recorded in the content data storage unit 138.

The content recording unit 137 performs, for example, data conversion and encoding/decoding processing on the program content data received by the broadcast receiving unit 123, so that the program content data can be recorded on the DVD 129 loaded in the DVD drive 130 or in the content data storage unit 138 . For example, the content data storage unit 138 is a recording medium essentially including a hard disk to serve as a storage unit for storing program content received by the broadcast receiving unit 123 .

The timer recording processing unit 139 is a functional unit for registering timer recording information regarding recording processing to be performed by the content recording unit 137 . The timing recording processing unit 139 receives information about timing recording (which has been input by the user using the controller 125 through the controller receiving unit 126), and the timing processing unit 139 stores the received information about timing recording in the timing recording information storage unit 140 in. The timer recording information storage unit 140 stores the timer recording information stored in the timer recording processing unit 139 . For example, the timer recording information storage unit 140 stores channel numbers, recording start/end times, program names, and the like.

The configuration of the digital recorder 120 has been explained above.

[Cooperative Processing Between Television Receiver 100 and Digital Recorder 120]

Next, cooperative processing performed by the television receiver 100 and the digital recorder 120 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 6 . FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing a first example of cooperation processing executed on the home network system 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing a second example of cooperation processing executed on the home network system 10 according to the present embodiment.

[first example]

First, a first example of cooperative processing performed by the television receiver 100 and the digital recorder 120 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4 . In this example, the processing is described assuming that the function of the digital recorder 120 selected by the television receiver 100 is an embedded type.

First, for example, the external device search unit 132 of the digital recorder 120 searches for devices in the home network 12 by using UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) and multicast DNS (Domain Name System, Domain Name System) (step S400 ). Next, in response to the inquiry from the digital recorder 120, the television receiver 100 responds (step S402).

The digital recorder 120 transmits a request for acquiring service information to the response device (television receiver 100) (step S404). Service information is information on services provided by devices that cooperate with external devices. By confirming service information, a device can confirm functions that can be realized through cooperation of a plurality of devices. The television receiver 100 transmits service information indicating that the television receiver 100 has a function of displaying the functions of the external device to the digital recorder 120 (step S406).

The function display request unit 133 of the digital recorder 120 determines that the television receiver 100 is a device capable of displaying the functions of an external device based on the service information received from the television receiver 100 in step S406, and acquires the information related to the television from the cooperative function data storage unit 134. The cooperation function data corresponding to the receiver 100 (step S408). Next, the digital recorder 120 transmits a function display request with the cooperative function data acquired at step S408 to the television receiver 100 (step S410).

Television receiver 100 receives a function display request from digital recorder 120 via home network communication I/F 112, and stores cooperative function data in display data storage unit 117 (step S412). Next, the display image generation unit 116 of the television receiver 100 generates a display image to be displayed on the display 107 based on the cooperation function data received from the digital recorder 120, and outputs the display image to the display 107 via the display I/F 108 (step S414).

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on the display 107 at step S414. In the example of FIG. 5 , a list of cooperation functions is shown as icons, and each icon represents a cooperation device and a function of the cooperation device. In the example of FIG. 5 , the function of "timer recording list" and the function of "recorder setting" of the digital recorder 120 are shown. In this example, each icon shown is selectable by operating the controller 105 . In the example of Figure 5, the "Recorder Setup" function of the digital recorder is selected.

At this time, when the user operates the controller 105, one of the functions shown on the display 107 is selected and input to the controller receiving unit 106 (step S416). The cooperative function executing unit 113 of the television receiver 100 receives the value received by the controller receiving unit 106, acquires behavior information on the function from the cooperative function data stored in the display data storage unit 117, and then determines that the selected function is embedded. type or download type (step S418). In the following description of this example, it is assumed that the selected function is Embedded.

Since the selected function is an embedded type, the cooperative function execution unit 113 acquires the function ID of the selected function from the cooperative function data, and transmits the function ID to the digital recorder 120 (step S420). Next, the digital recorder 120 executes the function corresponding to the function ID received from the television receiver 100 . For example, the digital recorder 120 performs processing of displaying a list of timer recordings, changing of setting information, and the like (step S422).

As described above, according to the cooperation method of the present invention, even if the devices do not store information about each other in advance, information about one device can be displayed on the display of another device, and the function of the device can be selected, and by operating the other A device's remote control or the like to make it execute. Therefore, by using a display screen that displays another device and a remote controller, it is possible to operate the device.

[second example]

Next, a second example of cooperative processing performed by the television receiver 100 and the digital recorder 120 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6 . In this example, the processing is described assuming that the function of the digital recorder 120 selected by the television receiver 100 is a download type. The processing from steps S600 to S616 in FIG. 6 is basically the same as the processing from steps S400 to S416 of the first example above. Therefore, description thereof will not be repeated, and only the processing of step S618 and subsequent steps will be described hereinafter.

In step S618, in the same manner as the processing in step S418 of the first example, the cooperative function executing unit 113 of the television receiver 100 determines whether the function is an embedded type or a download type based on the behavior information on the function selected by the user's operation. . In the second example, the selected function is a download type, and therefore, the cooperative function execution unit 113 acquires the URL included in the action information (step S620).

Next, the television receiver 100 accesses the URL acquired at step S620 via the Internet communication I/F 111 to download the program (step S622). Next, the cooperative function execution unit 113 executes the downloaded program so that the digital recorder 120 executes the corresponding function (step S624). After executing the program, the cooperative function execution unit 113 may discard the downloaded data of the program.

In the first example, the television receiver 100 simply transmits the function ID of the selected function to the digital recorder 120 for the subsequent processing to be performed by the digital recorder 120 itself. But in the second example, the television receiver 100 itself executes a program corresponding to the selected function in order to operate the function of the digital recorder 120 .

For example, when a 'recorder setting' function is selected from among functions of a digital recorder displayed on the television receiver 100, the television receiver 100 downloads and executes a program for completing the 'recorder setting'. This program is for communicating with the digital recorder 120 via the home network communication I/F 112, reading setting information of the digital recorder 120, and displaying the setting information on the display 107 of the television receiver 100.

Accordingly, the user can check setting information of the digital recorder 120, change setting values, etc. by operating the controller 105 of the television receiver 100 while checking the display 107 of the television receiver 100. As described above, according to the cooperation method of the second example, a user can perform more complicated operations on one device by operating another device.

<Second Embodiment>

First, the configuration of a home network system 20 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7 . As shown in FIG. 7 , a home network system 20 according to this embodiment includes devices such as a television receiver 200 and a digital recorder 220 connected to a home network 22 similarly to the home network system 10 according to the first embodiment .

Each device on the home network 22 has service definition information (information about functions) and processing information. In the present embodiment, the service definition information is information that defines services (functions) that each device can execute in cooperation with external devices on the home network 22 . The processing information is information on processing being performed by each device, processing to be performed by each device, and results of processing performed by each device. Each device transmits and receives service-defining information, and transmits and receives service-related processing information. One or more display devices collectively display processing information on themselves and processing information on one or more external devices, and display services (functions) executable by each external device in cooperation with the display device. When a user selects a service, the display device causes the selected service to be executed by an external device capable of executing the selected service.

Therefore, the user can check the processing information of each external device on the display device. Further, the user can cause a desired service (function) to be executed by the external device by selecting a service (function) executable by each external device on the display device.

[Configuration of Television Receiver 200]

Next, a schematic configuration of the television receiver 200 and the digital recorder 220 included in the system 20 shown in FIG. 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 .

As shown in FIG. 8 , the television receiver 200 includes a control unit 201 , a broadcast receiving unit 203 , a broadcast interface (I/F) 204 , a controller receiving unit 205 , a display 206 and a display interface (I/F) 207 . The television receiver 200 further includes a speaker 208 , an audio output interface (I/F) 209 , a network communication interface (I/F) 210 , and an external input/output interface (I/F) 211 . The television receiver 200 further includes a content recording/reproducing unit 212 , a content data storage unit 213 , a display image generation unit 214 , a display data storage unit 215 , a cooperative function execution unit 216 , and a cooperative function data storage unit 217 . Components having functions different from those of the television receiver 100 according to the first embodiment will be explained below.

The control unit 201 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like. For example, the ROM stores programs and data for realizing various functions. The RAM stores various data such as preference information and processing information to be described later, and provides a work area for program execution. In the control unit 201 , the CPU reads the program stored in the ROM, and executes the program by using the work area of the RAM, so as to perform various processing and control of each unit via the connection bus 202 . For example, the control unit 201 controls the content recording/reproducing unit 212 to perform recording and reproduction processing of program content, and to perform program recommendation processing of recommending program content to a user based on program information and preference information. Further, the control unit 201 cooperates with the cooperative function execution unit 216 to realize a cooperative function with an external device (eg, a digital recorder 220 ), which will be described later.

The broadcast receiving unit 203 receives program information such as EPG (Electronic Program Guide) information and ECG (Electronic Content Guide) information together with program content, and outputs the program content and program information to the connection bus 202 via the broadcast I/F 204. The content recording/reproducing unit 212 stores data on program content received by the broadcast receiving unit 203 in the content data storage unit 213 . Further, the content recording/reproducing unit 212 reproduces the program content received by the broadcast receiving unit 203 , and reproduces the program content data stored in the content data storage unit 213 . The content data storage unit 213 is a recording medium for storing data of program content received by the broadcast receiving unit 203 .

Display image generating unit 214 generates a display to be displayed on display 206 based on the video signal decoded by content recording/reproducing unit 212, program information received by broadcast receiving unit 203, display data stored in display data storage unit 215, etc. image. The display image generation unit 214 generates display images such as a program selection menu and a program table menu, which will be described later. The display data storage unit 215 is a recording medium for storing various data used to generate display images such as program selection menus and program table menus.

The cooperative function execution unit 216 cooperates with the control unit 201 using various modules described later to realize a cooperative function with external devices. Cooperative function execution unit 216 collectively displays processing information and the like of television receiver 200 and external devices together with program information, and causes the external device to execute a function selected by the user from among functions of the external device displayed with program information. The cooperative function data storage unit 217 is a recording medium for storing data such as definition information required to execute a cooperative function described later.

The definition information includes device definition information for identifying the television receiver 200 and service definition information for defining services (functions) that the television receiver 200 can perform in cooperation with external devices, as described later. The preference information is information indicating the user's preference for programs. The preference information can be set by the user as a program selection condition, and the preference information can be generated and updated according to the history of user operations on the television receiver 200 (eg, viewing, recording, timing viewing and timing recording). Preference information (an example of processing conditions) is stored in RAM and used to execute program recommendation processing.

The processing information is information indicating the processing being or to be performed by the television receiver 200 and the result of the processing performed by the television receiver 200 . Examples of processing information include recommendation information (examples of results of processing that have been performed) and recording/scheduled recording information (examples of processing to be performed). The processing information is stored in RAM, and used to execute, for example, program recommendation processing and program recording processing.

[Overview of Digital Recorder 220]

As shown in Figure 9, the digital recorder 220 includes a control unit 221, a broadcast receiving unit 223, a broadcast I/F 224, a controller receiving unit 225, a network communication I/F 226, and an external input/output I/F 227. Further, the digital recorder 220 includes a content recording/reproducing unit 228 , a content data storage unit 229 , a cooperative function execution unit 230 , and a cooperative function data storage unit 231 . Each unit of the digital recorder 220 has the same function as a corresponding one of the television receiver 200, and description thereof will not be repeated.

[Configuration of cooperation function]

Next, the configuration of the cooperation function in the system 20 shown in FIG. 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11 . FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cooperation function. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of definition information.

As shown in FIG. 10 , the cooperative function execution unit 216 of the television receiver 200 includes a device search/connection module 241 , an information provision/acquisition module 242 , an information display module 243 , an RPC execution module 244 and various service modules 245 . The cooperation function data storage unit 217 of the television receiver 200 stores device definition information of the television receiver 200 and service definition information of the service module 245 of the cooperation function execution unit 216 . On the other hand, the RAM of the television receiver 200 stores processing information and preference information managed by the television receiver 200 .

On the other hand, the cooperation function execution unit 230 of the digital recorder 220 includes a device search/connection module 251 , an information provision/acquisition module 252 , an RPC execution module 254 and various service modules 255 . The cooperation function data storage unit 231 of the digital recorder 220 stores device definition information of the digital recorder 220 and service definition information of the service module 255 of the cooperation function execution unit 230 . On the other hand, the RAM of the digital recorder 220 stores processing information and preference information managed by the digital recorder 220 .

The device search/connection modules 241 and 251 are modules for searching for external devices on the home network 22 via the network communication I/F 210 and 226 and establishing a connection with the searched devices based on defined information sent to and received from the external devices. Network connection of external devices. The information supply/acquisition modules 242 and 252 are modules for supplying information necessary for performing cooperation functions (such as preference information and handling information) to or from an external device via the network communication I/Fs 210 and 226. Obtain information necessary to perform cooperative functions (such as preference information and processing information). Each of the information providing/acquiring modules 242 and 252 functions as an information providing module that provides information to an external device and/or an information obtaining module that acquires information from an external device.

The information display module 243 is a module for combining processing information stored in the RAM and processing information acquired from an external device by the information providing/acquiring module 242 and for displaying the combined information. The RPC execution modules 244 and 254 are modules for executing Remote Procedure Call (RPC) on an external device via the network communication I/Fs 210 and 226 . Various service modules 245 and 255 include modules 246, 247, 256, and 257 for performing various services (processing) that can be performed as a cooperative function with external devices, such as program recommendation service and program recording service.

Each of the device search/connection modules 241 and 251 and the information provision/acquisition modules 242 and 252 functions as an information acquisition unit and/or an information provision unit. The information display module 243 functions as an information display unit. Each of the RPC execution modules 244 and 254 functions as a function execution unit. Each of the service modules 245 and 255 functions as a function execution unit and/or a process execution unit.

The cooperation function execution unit 216 of the television receiver 200 and the cooperation function execution unit 230 of the digital recorder 220 use the above modules, processing information, and preference information to realize communication between the television receiver 200 and the digital recorder 220 via the home network 22. Cooperation function. It should be noted that the digital recorder 220 according to the present embodiment does not use an information display module, but an external device having a display function can collectively display processing information and the like by using the information display module in the same manner as the television receiver 200 .

Next, the definition information will be described with reference to FIG. 11 . As described above, the definition information includes device definition information for identifying devices and service definition information for defining services (functions) that each device can perform by cooperating with external devices.

As shown in FIG. 11, the device defining information includes a device ID, a device name, a device address, and device supplementary information. The device ID is an identifier unique to a device, and the device name is a name set by a device or a user to facilitate identification of the device. The device address is an address (such as an IP address and a host name) at which a device can be identified on the home network 22 . The device supplementary information is supplementary information arbitrarily set by a device or a user.

Further, the service definition information includes service name, service version, service location path, service provider ID and service supplementary information. The service definition information is defined for each service that can be executed in cooperation with an external device, such as a program recommendation service and a program recording service. In other words, the service definition information is defined for each of the service modules 245 and 255 used by the cooperation function execution units 216 and 230 , such as the program recommendation service modules 246 and 256 and the program recording service modules 247 and 257 . The service name is a name set for each service. The service version is information indicating the version of the service.

The service location path includes the RPC protocol, the device ID, and the service location information of the device. The service location information is made to be text information similar to a URI (Uniform Resource Locator) in order to facilitate service identification. The service providing device ID is an identifier corresponding to the device ID of the above device defining information. The service supplementary information is supplementary information arbitrarily set by a device or a user.

[Collaboration function]

Hereinafter, the cooperation function of the system 20 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 15 . FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the execution sequence of the cooperation function of the system 20 . 13 to 15 are diagrams illustrating exemplary executions of cooperation functions. In the following description, a case where the television receiver 200 collectively displays processing information of the television receiver 200 and the digital recorder 220 and the like will be described first. Subsequently, a case where the digital recorder 220 performs the service of the digital recorder 220 displayed on the television receiver 200 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 12, the execution sequence of the cooperation function can be divided into a connection establishment sequence, an information collection sequence, and a display/execution sequence. Each sequence will be described in turn below.

[1. Connection establishment sequence]

The control unit 201 of the television receiver 200 causes the cooperative function execution unit 216 to start a connection establishment sequence at a predetermined timing (eg, when the television receiver 200 is started). The cooperative function execution unit 216 first uses the device search/connection module 241 to search for external devices on the home network 22 (step S700). At this time, the device search/connection module 241 searches for devices on the home network 22 by using protocols such as UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) and multicast DNS.

When the device search/connection module 241 receives a search response from the cooperative function execution unit 230 of the digital recorder 220 (S702), the device search/connection module 241 transmits the device definition information of the television receiver 200 and the transmission request for the limitation information to the cooperative function execution unit 230 (S704). The cooperative function execution unit 230 of the digital recorder 220 transmits appropriate service information identified based on the device definition information of the television receiver 200 together with the device definition information of the digital recorder 220 to the device search/connection module 241 (S706).

When the cooperative function execution unit 216 of the television receiver 200 receives the service definition information, the cooperative function execution unit 216 makes a determination whether the cooperative function can be executed by the digital recorder 220 . The cooperative function execution unit 216 confirms the type of data transmitted to and received from the digital recorder 220 during execution of the cooperative function, the method of transmission and reception, etc. based on the service version included in the service definition information.

When the cooperative function execution unit 216 determines that the cooperative function can be executed, the cooperative function execution unit 216 establishes a network connection between the television receiver 200 and the digital recorder 220 (S708) to complete the connection establishment sequence. On the other hand, when the cooperative function execution unit 216 determines that the cooperative function cannot be executed, the cooperative function execution unit 216 completes the connection establishment sequence without establishing any network connection. Hereinafter, an information collection sequence and a display/execution sequence will be described assuming that a network connection is established between the television receiver 200 and the digital recorder 220 .

[2. Information collection sequence]

The control unit 201 causes the cooperation function execution unit 216 to start the information collection sequence at a predetermined timing (such as after completion of the connection establishment sequence or after reception of an execution request of the cooperation function). For example, when a user requests display of a program selection menu and a program table menu (to be described later), an execution request of a cooperation function is made. The cooperation function execution unit 216 uses the information acquisition module 242 to request the cooperation function execution unit 230 of the digital recorder 220 to provide information from the predetermined service module 255 of the digital recorder 220 (S710). In this case, the information acquisition module 242 requests the cooperative function execution unit 230 of the digital recorder 220 to provide preference information, processing information, etc. from the predetermined service module 255 preset in the television receiver 200 or determined according to user operations.

The cooperative function execution unit 230 uses the predetermined service module 255 to acquire preference information, processing information, etc., and uses the information providing module 252 to transmit the preference information, processing information, etc. to the information acquisition module 242 based on the service definition information of the service module 255 (S712 ). When the information acquisition module 242 receives, for example, preference information and processing information from the cooperative function execution unit 230 of the digital recorder 220, the information acquisition module 242 combines the preference information, processing information, etc. with the corresponding information stored in the RAM of the television receiver 200 Information is collected by storing in RAM (S714).

In the following description, an information collection sequence performed by using the program recommendation service modules 246 and 256 and the program recording service modules 247 and 257 as examples of the reservation service modules 245 and 255 will be described. The program recommendation service modules 246 and 256 are modules for recommending program content based on preference information and generating recommendation information indicating the recommended program content. The program recording service modules 247 and 257 are modules for recording program content and programming timing recording according to recording/scheduled recording information.

When the program recommendation service module 256 is used, the information acquisition module 242 acquires, for example, recommendation information indicating programs recommended based on preference information stored in the digital recorder 220 from the program recommendation service module 256 via the information provision module 252 . Then, the information acquisition module 242 collects the acquired recommendation information together with the recommendation information stored in the television receiver 200 . When the program recording service module 257 is used, the information obtaining module 242 obtains from the program recording service module 257 via the information providing module 252, for example, the record/ Record information regularly. Then, the information acquisition module 242 collects the acquired recording/timed recording information together with the recording/timed recording information stored in the television receiver 200 .

[3. Display/execution sequence]

For example, the control unit 201 causes the cooperative function execution unit 216 to start the display/execution sequence at a predetermined timing after the completion of the information collection sequence or after acquiring an execution request of the cooperative function. The cooperative function execution unit 216 uses the information display module 243 to display the information collected by the information acquisition module 242 together with, for example, a process selection menu and a program table menu (S716). The information display module 243 displays predetermined information previously set in the television receiver 200 or determined according to user operations.

Further, for example, based on the service definition information of the service module 255 acquired from the digital recorder 220, the information display module 243 displays function information of the digital recorder 220 together with a process selection menu and a program list menu (S718). The function information is information indicating a service (function) that each device can perform in cooperation with an external device. In other words, the function information of the digital recorder 220 displayed on the information display module 243 indicates functions that can be called by the television receiver 200 via RPC to be performed by the digital recorder 220 .

The cooperative function execution unit 216 recognizes the function information of the digital recorder 220 based on the service definition information of each service module 255 . For example, the function information of the digital recorder 220 is identified as functions such as acquisition, provision and update of recommended information corresponding to the program recommendation service module 256, and functions such as recording and timing recording corresponding to the program recording service module 257 functions such as

When the function information of the digital recorder 220 being displayed is selected, the cooperative function execution unit 216 uses the RPC execution module 244 to request the corresponding service module 255 to execute the selected function. Based on the service definition information corresponding to the selected function information, the RPC execution module 244 transmits the execution request to the corresponding service module 255 according to the service location path (S720). When the corresponding service module 255 receives the execution request, the corresponding service module 255 executes the corresponding function (S722), and transmits a completion response to the cooperation function execution unit 216 (S724). When the cooperative function execution unit 216 receives the completion response, the cooperative function execution unit 216 uses the information display module 243 to display the execution completion of the selected function (S726).

[Exemplary execution of cooperation function]

In the exemplary execution shown in FIG. 13 , the television receiver 200 collectively displays processing information (recommendation information) of the television receiver 200 and the digital recorder 220 using a program recommendation service.

FIG. 13 shows a program selection menu displayed on the screen of the television receiver 200. As shown in FIG. The program selection menu shows a list of programs with recommendations for viewing, recording, programming for viewing, or programming for timed recording. Fig. 13 shows about program content 1-1 (sports 21), 2-1 (news 9PM), 3-1 (sports highlights), 4-1 (series), 5-1 (BSB special news program) Program information (eg, channel offered, provider, title of program, time offered). As recommended information, a "TV" mark is shown for the program information of the program content 21, and a "recorder" mark is shown for the program information of the program content 3-1. The recommendation information shown for program information indicates a device that recommends program content. For example, the recommendation information shown in FIG. 13 indicates that the television receiver 200 recommends program content 2-1, and the digital recorder 220 recommends program content 3-1.

Accordingly, the user can select program content suitable for the user's own preference while checking the recommendation information of the television receiver 200 and the digital recorder 220 on the television receiver 200 .

In the program selection menu, a "decision" button for viewing program details is shown. As will be described later, the user can check the details of the program content by operating the "decision" button to select the program content from the program selection menu.

In the exemplary implementation shown in FIG. 13 , recommendation information of the television receiver 200 and the digital recorder 220 are collectively displayed. However, instead of the recommendation information, preference information of the television receiver 200 and the digital recorder 220 may be collected by the television receiver 200, and the television receiver 200 generates and displays recommendation information based on the collected preference information. In this case, the digital recorder 220 does not need to have a program recommendation function.

Further, in another exemplary execution of the cooperative function using the program recommendation service, preference information is transmitted in at least one direction between the cooperative function execution unit 216 of the television receiver 200 and the cooperative function execution unit 230 of the digital recorder 220 .

For example, cooperative function execution unit 216 of television receiver 200 transmits preference information from program recommendation service module 246 via information providing/acquiring module 242 at a predetermined timing after elapse of a predetermined update period or after receiving an execution request of update processing. When the program recommendation service module 256 of the digital recorder 220 receives preference information, the program recommendation service module 256 updates the preference information stored in the RAM, and transmits a confirmation response of completion of the update to the information acquisition/provider module as the provider of the preference information 242. Then, the program recommendation service module 256 of the digital recorder 220 recommends program content based on the updated preference information, and generates preference information. In the above description, the television receiver 200 transmits preference information to the digital recorder 220 . However, the case where the digital recorder 220 transmits preference information to the television receiver 200 can also be described in the same manner.

Therefore, based on the preference information collected by the television receiver 200 and/or the digital recorder 220, the user can select program content suitable for the user's own preference from among recommended program content.

In the exemplary implementation shown in FIG. 14, the television receiver 200 collectively displays processing information (recording/timed recording information) of the television receiver 200 and the digital recorder 220 by using a program recording service.

FIG. 14 shows a program table menu displayed on the screen of the television receiver 200. As shown in FIG. In the program list menu, program information (program title and delivery time, etc.) and recording/scheduled recording information of a plurality of program contents are shown in each section according to the provided channel and the provided time. As recording/timer recording information, the program information for program content 1-1 (sports 21) shows a "recorder recording" mark, and the program information for program content 2-2 (sports 10PM) shows "TV timing record" mark. Recording/scheduled recording information shown for program information indicates the processing status of the program content, such as recording and timed recording. For example, the recording/timed recording information shown in FIG. 14 indicates that program content 1-1 is being recorded by digital recorder 220 and that program content 2-2 is programmed by television receiver 200 for timed recording.

Accordingly, the user can properly select program content to watch, record, program for viewing, program for timer recording, etc. while checking the recording/timer recording information of the television receiver 200 and digital recorder 220 on the television receiver 200 .

And in the program list menu, a "decision" button for viewing program details is shown. As will be described later, the user can check the details of the program content by selecting the program content from the program table menu by operating the "decision" button.

In the exemplary implementation shown in FIG. 15 , the services (functions) of the digital recorder 220 that are displayed on the television receiver 200 along with the program information (program details) are performed by the digital recorder 220 .

FIG. 15 shows a detailed program menu showing details of program content 3-2 (Truck Driver) selected from a program selection menu or a program table menu. The detailed program menu shows program information of the program content 3-2 (eg, offered channel, provider, program title, offered time, program outline, and video/audio information) together with selectable functions. Operation buttons "timer viewing", "timer recording" and "recorder's timing recording" corresponding to selectable functions are shown. Among them, a “record at recorder’s timing” button corresponds to function information of the digital recorder 220 . The function information shown for the program information represents functions that can be performed by the digital recorder 220 on the selected program. For example, the capability information shown in FIG. 15 indicates that digital recorder 220 may be programmed to record program content 3-2 on a regular basis.

When the "timed viewing" button or "timed recording" button is selected, the control unit 201 of the television receiver 200 programs the timing viewing or timing recording to execute the viewing process or recording process of the program content 3-2 at the programmed time. On the other hand, when the "record at recorder's timing" button is selected, the cooperative function execution unit 216 of the television receiver 200 requests the program recording service module 257 using the RPC execution module 244 based on the service definition information of the program recording service module 257 Execute timed recording. When the program recording service module 257 receives an execution request, the program recording service module 257 cooperates with the control unit 201 to program the timing recording so as to execute the recording process of the program content 3-2 at the programmed time. After the program recording service module 257 programs the timer recording, the program recording service module 257 transmits the completion response and the updated recording/timer recording information to the cooperation function execution unit 216 of the television receiver 200 . When the cooperative function execution unit 216 receives the recording/timed recording information, the cooperative function performing unit 216 uses the information display module 243 to display the updated recording/timed recording information.

Therefore, the user selects the function information of the digital recorder 220 displayed on the television receiver 200 by operating the television receiver 200, so that the digital recorder 220 can execute a corresponding function.

As described above, according to the system 20 according to the present embodiment, processing information and information on functions of each external device are acquired from one or more external devices, and the processing information and information on functions are displayed together with program information on one or more program contents. information about it. Further, selected functions related to selected program content may be performed by an external device. Therefore, the information processing devices can cooperate without dependency between the respective information processing devices. Further, troublesome operations are not required, erroneous operations can be prevented, and convenience of cooperation between devices can be improved.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations, partial combinations and alterations may occur depending on design requirements and other factors insofar as they are within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.

In the above embodiments, the cooperative function is performed by using the system 20 including the television receiver 200 and the digital recorder 220 . However, a case where a cooperative function is performed by using a system including one or more display devices and one or more other devices can also be explained in the same manner. The more devices in the system to which the information processing method according to the present invention is applied, the more obvious the effect of the cooperation function can be obtained by the user.

In the above embodiments, program recommendation processing and program recording processing are performed by using the cooperation function. But the information processing method according to the present invention can also be applied to a case where processing other than program recommendation processing and program recording processing is performed by using a cooperative function.

The present invention contains subject matter related to that disclosed in Japanese Priority Patent Application JP 2008-287513 filed in the Japan Patent Office on Nov. 10, 2008, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Claims (16)

1. An information processing device, comprising: an information acquisition unit for acquiring, from one or more external devices connected via the network, processing information on processing to be performed by each external device and/or on a result of the processing performed thereby and on each external device information on functions that can be performed in cooperation with the information processing device; an information display unit for displaying processing information of each external device and program information about one or more program contents, and based on information about functions of each external device, displaying information about one or more one or more functions performed by the programming content; and A function execution unit for enabling one or more external devices capable of performing a function selected from among the one or more functions to perform the selected function with respect to program content selected from among the one or more program contents. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information display unit displays information on processing to be performed by the information processing device and/or on processing performed thereby together with program information on one or more program contents. The resulting processing information, and the information display unit further displays one or more functions executable by the information processing device with respect to the one or more program contents based on the information about the functions of the information processing device. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising: a processing execution unit for executing processing with respect to program content, wherein the information acquisition unit further acquires from each external device a processing condition used for processing by each external device, the processing execution unit executes processing with respect to program content based on processing conditions used for processing by the information processing device and each external device, and The information display unit further displays the processing result performed by the processing execution unit together with the program information of the one or more program contents. 4. An information processing device, comprising: an information providing unit for providing processing information on processing to be performed by the information processing device and/or on a result of the processing performed thereby and information on functions that the information processing device can perform in cooperation with one or more external devices Provided to external devices connected via a network; A function execution unit for executing a function selected on the external device from among one or more functions, with respect to program content selected on the external device from among one or more program contents, wherein Together with the program information for the content, the one or more external devices display the processed information and, based on the information about the functions, display one or more functions that can be performed with respect to the one or more program content. 5. The information processing device according to claim 4, further comprising: a processing execution unit for executing processing with respect to program content, Wherein the information providing unit further provides one or more external devices with processing conditions used by the information processing device for processing, so that the one or more external devices display the program information about one or more program contents together with the one or more external devices. results of processing performed by the external device, and further causes one or more external devices to perform processing with respect to program content based on processing conditions used for processing by the information processing device and the one or more external devices. 6. An information processing system comprising: information processing equipment; and one or more external devices, Wherein said information processing equipment includes: an information acquisition unit for acquiring, from one or more external devices connected via the network, processing information on processing to be performed by each external device and/or on a result of the processing performed thereby and on each external device information on functions that can be performed in cooperation with the information processing device; an information display unit for displaying processing information of each external device and program information about one or more program contents, and based on information about functions of each external device, displaying information about one or more one or more functions performed by the programming content; and a first function executing unit for enabling one or more external devices capable of executing a function selected from the one or more functions to execute the selected function with respect to the program content selected from among the one or more program contents, and The external devices include: an information providing unit for providing the processing information and the information on the function to the information processing device; and The second function executing unit is used for executing the selected function with respect to the selected program content. 7. An information processing method for an information processing device, comprising the following steps: From one or more external devices connected via a network, processing information on processing to be performed by each external device and/or on a result of the processing performed thereby is acquired and that each external device can cooperate with the information processing device Information about the functions performed by the site; displaying processing information of each external device and program information on the one or more program contents, and based on the information on the function of each external device, displaying one or more multiple functions; and One or more external devices that are enabled to perform a function selected from among the one or more functions perform the selected function with respect to program content selected from among the one or more program content. 8. A computer-readable storage medium having recorded thereon a program for causing a computer to execute an information processing method for an information processing device, comprising the steps of: From one or more external devices connected via a network, processing information on processing to be performed by each external device and/or on a result of the processing performed thereby is acquired and that each external device can cooperate with the information processing device Information about the functions performed by the site; displaying processing information of each external device and program information on the one or more program contents, and based on the information on the function of each external device, displaying one or more multiple functions; and One or more external devices that are enabled to perform a function selected from among the one or more functions perform the selected function with respect to program content selected from among the one or more program content. 9. An information processing device, comprising: a receiving unit for receiving, from an external device connected to the information processing device via a network, function information on one or more functions of the external device and a function display request for displaying a list of functions included in the function information; a display unit for displaying a list of functions of the external device included in the function information in response to a function display request; a selection receiving unit for receiving information representing one or more functions selected by the user from a list of functions displayed on the display unit; and A cooperative function execution unit for causing the external device to execute one or more functions selected by the user. 10. The information processing device according to claim 9, wherein The function information includes identification information corresponding to each function, and The cooperative function execution unit transmits identification information corresponding to one or more functions selected by the user to the external device. 11. The information processing device according to claim 9, wherein The function information includes information on a source location for acquiring a program corresponding to each function, and The cooperative function execution unit causes the external device to execute one or more functions selected by acquiring a program from a source location of the program and executing the acquired program, the program corresponding to the one or more functions selected by a user. 12. An information processing device, comprising: an external device searching unit for searching for external devices connected via the network; and A transmitting unit for transmitting function information on the one or more functions and a function display request for causing the external device to display a list of the one or more functions to the external device. 13. The information processing device according to claim 12, wherein The function information includes identification information corresponding to each function, and The information processing device receives identification information corresponding to one or more functions selected by a user from among a plurality of functions included in the function information from an external device, and executes the one or more functions corresponding to the identification information. 14. The information processing device according to claim 12, wherein The function information includes information on a source location for acquiring a program corresponding to each function, and The external device executes a program corresponding to one or more functions selected by a user from among a plurality of functions included in the function information, thereby executing the selected one or more functions. 15. The information processing device according to claim 12, wherein the transmitting unit selects one or more functions included in the function information according to the type of the external device searched by the external device searching unit. 16. An information processing method, comprising the steps of: receiving function information on one or more functions of the external device and a function display request for displaying a list of functions included in the function information from the external device connected via the network; displaying a list of functions of the external device included in the function information in response to the function display request; receiving information representing one or more functions selected by the user from among the list of functions displayed in the step for displaying; and The external device is caused to perform one or more functions selected by the user.

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