TECHNICAL FIELD

The present technology relates to a transmission device, a transmission method, a reception device, and a reception method, and more particularly, to a transmission device related to a technique of inserting metadata into an audio stream and transmitting the resulting audio stream, and the like.

BACKGROUND ART

In the past, a technique of inserting metadata into an audio stream and transmitting the resulting audio stream was proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

CITATION LIST

Patent Document

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-010311

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

Metadata is defined in a user data region of an audio stream, for example. However, metadata is not necessarily inserted into all audio streams.

It is an object of the present technology to enable a reception side to easily recognize that metadata is inserted into an audio stream and thus improve convenience of a process.

Solutions to Problems

A concept of the present technology lies in a transmission device, including:

a transmitting unit that transmits a metafile including meta information for acquiring an audio stream into which metadata is inserted through a reception device; and

an information inserting unit that inserts identification information indicating that the metadata is inserted into the audio stream into the metafile.

In the present technology, a transmitting unit transmits a metafile including meta information for acquiring an audio stream into which metadata is inserted through a reception device. For example, the metadata may be access information fora connection to a predetermined network service. In this case, for example, the metadata may be a character code indicating URI information.

For example, the transmitting unit may transmit the metafile via an RF transmission path or a communication network transmission path. Further, for example, the transmitting unit may further transmit a container of a predetermined format including the audio stream into which the metadata is inserted. In this case, for example, the container may be an MP4 (ISO/IEC 14496-14:2003).

An information inserting unit inserts identification information indicating that the metadata is inserted into the audio stream into the metafile. For example, the metafile may be a media presentation description (MPD) file. In this case, for example, the information inserting unit may insert the identification information into the metafile using a “Supplementary Descriptor.”

As described above, in the present technology, the identification information indicating that the metadata is inserted into the audio stream is inserted into the metafile including the meta information for acquiring the audio stream into which the metadata is inserted in the reception device. Thus, at the reception side, it is possible to easily recognize that the metadata is inserted into the audio stream. Further, for example, it is also possible to perform the process of extracting the metadata inserted into the audio stream based on the recognition and acquire the metadata reliably without waste.

Further, another concept of the present technology lies in a reception device, including:

a receiving unit that receives a metafile including meta information for acquiring an audio stream into which metadata is inserted, wherein identification information indicating that the metadata is inserted into the audio stream is inserted into the metafile; and

a transmitting unit that transmits the audio stream to an external device via a predetermined transmission path together with the identification information indicating that the metadata is inserted into the audio stream.

In the present technology, a receiving unit receives a metafile including meta information for acquiring an audio stream into which metadata is inserted. For example, the metadata may be the access information for a connection to a predetermined network service. The identification information indicating that the metadata is inserted into the audio stream is inserted into the metafile.

For example, the metadata may be access information for a connection to a predetermined network service. For example, the metafile may be an MPD file, and the identification information may be inserted into the metafile using the “Supplementary Descriptor.”

A transmitting unit transmits the audio stream to an external device via a predetermined transmission path together with the identification information indicating that the metadata is inserted into the audio stream. For example, the transmitting unit may transmit the audio stream and the identification information to the external device by inserting the audio stream and the identification information into a blanking period of time of image data and transmitting the image data to the external device. For example, the predetermined transmission path may be a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) cable.

As described above, in the present technology, the audio stream into which the metadata is inserted is transmitted to the external device together with the identification information indicating that the metadata is inserted into the audio stream. Thus, at the external device side, it is possible to easily recognize that the metadata is inserted into the audio stream. Further, for example, it is also possible to perform the process of extracting the metadata inserted into the audio stream based on the recognition and acquire the metadata reliably without waste.

Another conception of the present technology lies in a reception device including a receiving unit that receives a metafile including meta information for acquiring an audio stream into which metadata is inserted, wherein identification information indicating that the metadata is inserted into the audio stream is inserted into the metafile, a metadata extracting unit that decodes the audio stream based on the identification information, and extracts the metadata, and a processing unit that performs a process using the metadata.

In the present technology, a receiving unit receives a metafile including meta information for acquiring an audio stream into which metadata is inserted. Identification information indicating that the metadata is inserted into the audio stream is inserted into the metafile. For example, the metafile may be an MPD file, and the identification information may be inserted into the metafile using a “Supplementary Descriptor.”

A metadata extracting unit decodes the audio streambased on the identification information, and extracts the metadata. A processing unit performs a process using the metadata. For example, the metadata may be access information for a connection to a predetermined network service, and the processing unit may access the predetermined server on a network based on the network access information.

As described above, in the present technology, the metadata is extracted from the audio stream based on the identification information that is inserted into the metafile and indicates that the metadata is inserted into the audio stream and used for a process. Thus, it is possible to acquire the metadata inserted into the audio stream reliably without waste and execute the process using the metadata appropriately.

Further, another concept of the present technology lies in a transmission device, including:

a stream generating unit that generates an audio stream into which metadata including network access information is inserted; and

a transmitting unit that transmits a container of a predetermined format including the audio stream.

In the present technology, a stream generating unit generates an audio stream into which metadata including network access information is inserted. For example, the audio stream is generated by performing encoding such as AAC, AC3, AC4, or MPEGH (3D audio) on audio data, and the metadata is embedded in a user data region of the audio stream.

A transmitting unit transmits a container of a predetermined format including the audio stream. Here, a container of a predetermined format is, for example, an MP4, an MPEG2-TS, or the like. For example, the metadata may be a character code indicating URI information.

As described above, in the present technology, the metadata including the network access information is embedded in the audio stream and transmitted. Thus, for example, it is possible to simply transmit the network access information from a broadcasting station, a delivery server, or the like using the audio stream as a container so that the network access information is used at the reception side.

Effects of the Invention

According to the present technology, a reception side can easily recognize that metadata is inserted into an audio stream. The effect described herein is merely an example and not necessarily limited and may include any effect described in the present disclosure.

