Video distribution device, video distribution system, and video distribution method

A video distribution method for distributing a video content including a basic signal and a extended signal that are hierarchically composed comprising:

• a reproduction speed change step in which a content reproduction speed is changed by specifying a read-out bit rate for each signal to a basic signal and an extended signal in the video content;
• and
• a content read out step in which the respective signals are read out at mutually independent bit rates according to the bit rate specified in the reproduction speed change step, wherein
• said reproduction speed change step includes:
• (I) acquiring the bit rates of all layers composed the video content,
• (II) determining a usable bandwidth of a network,
• (III) stopping, in a process in which the read-out bit rate of each signal is changed in order from the basic signal to the extended signal, the change in the read-out bit rate of each signal so that a sum of the read-out bit rates of each changed signal does not exceed the network usable bandwidth, and
• (IV) issuing an instruction to stop the reading out of the extended signal in a hierarchical layer to which the change of the read-out bit rate has not been performed and a hierarchical layer higher than the hierarchical layer,
• wherein the video distribution method includes a time information setting step in which time information is added to the video content read out in said content read out step, and
• in said reproduction speed change step, a clock rate of the time information used for addition of the time information in said time information setting step is changed when reproduction speed change is determined.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program used in a video distribution device which distributes a video content including a basic signal and a extended signal that are hierarchically composed, the computer program causes a computer to realize:

• a reproduction speed change function for changing a content reproduction speed by specifying a read-out bit rate for each signal with respect to the basic signal and the extended signal in the video content;
• and
• a content read out function for reading out the respective signals at mutually independent bit rates in accordance with the bit rate specified by said reproduction speed change function, wherein
• said reproduction speed change function:
• (I) acquires the bit rates of all layers composed the video content,
• (II) determines a usable bandwidth of a network,
• (III) stops, in a process in which the read-out bit rate of each signal is changed in order from the basic signal to the extended signal, the change in the read-out bit rate of each signal so that a sum of the read-out bit rates of each changed signal does not exceed the network usable bandwidth, and
• (IV) issues an instruction to stop the reading out of the extended signal in a hierarchical layer to which the change of the read-out bit rate has not been performed and a hierarchical layer higher than the hierarchical layer, and
• wherein the program causes the computer to realize a time information setting function for adding time information to the video content read out by the content read out function, wherein
• said reproduction speed change function changes the clock rate of the time information used for addition of the time information by the time information setting function when the reproduction speed change is determined.

A video reception device which receives a video content including a basic signal and an extended signal that are hierarchically composed from a video distribution device, comprising:

• reproduction speed change means for transmitting a reproduction speed multiplication ratio change request of the video content to the video distribution device;
• and
• decode means for performing a video decode process according to time information added to the video content received from the video distribution device,
• wherein said decode means reads out a signal identifier included in the inputted video content and discriminate a type of a signal, specifies the extended signal not included in the video content by repeating the discrimination, specifies the lowermost hierarchical layer among the extended signals not included in the video content, and performs a decode process to the extended signal in the specified lowermost hierarchical layer and a hierarchical layer lower than the specified lowermost hierarchical layer and the basic signal, and
• wherein the video distribution device comprises:
• content read-out means for reading out the basic signal and the extended signal in the video content at mutually independent bit rates;
• and
• reproduction speed change means for changing a reproduction speed of the content by specifying a read-out bit rate for each signal to said content read-out means,
• wherein said reproduction speed change means:
• (I) acquires the bit rates of all layers composed the video content,
• (II) determines a usable bandwidth of a network,
• (III) stops, in a process in which the read-out bit rate of each signal is changed in order from the basic signal to the extended signal, the change in the read-out bit rate of each signal so that a sum of the read-out bit rates of each changed signal does not exceed the network usable bandwidth, and
• (IV) issues an instruction to stop the reading out of the extended signal in a hierarchical layer to which the change has not been performed and a hierarchical layer higher than the hierarchical layer.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium used in a video reception device which receives a video content including a basic signal and an extended signal that are hierarchically composed from a video distribution device,

• wherein the program causes a computer to realize:
• a reproduction speed change function for transmitting a reproduction speed multiplication ratio change request of the video content to the video distribution device;
• and
• a decode function for performing a video decode process in accordance with time information added to the video content received from the video distribution device,
• wherein said decode function reads out a signal identifier included in the inputted video content and discriminates a type of a signal, specifies the extended signal not included in the video content by repeating the discrimination, specifies the lowermost hierarchical layer among the extended signals not included in the video content, and performs a decode process to the extended signal in the specified lowermost hierarchical layer and a hierarchical layer lower than the specified lowermost hierarchical layer and the basic signal, and
• wherein the video distribution device comprises:
• content read-out means for reading out the basic signal and the extended signal in the video content at mutually independent bit rates;
• and
• reproduction speed change means for changing a reproduction speed of the content by specifying a read-out bit rate for each signal to said content read-out means, wherein
• said reproduction speed change means:
• (I) acquires the bit rates of all layers composed the video content,
• (II) determines a usable bandwidth of a network,
• (III) stops, in a process in which the read-out bit rate of each signal is changed in order from the basic signal to the extended signal, the change in the read-out bit rate of each signal so that a sum of the read-out bit rates of each changed signal does not exceed the network usable bandwidth, and
• (IV) issues an instruction to stop the reading out of the extended signal in a hierarchical layer to which the change has not been performed and a hierarchical layer higher than the hierarchical layer.