Communication system and its method and communication apparatus and its method

• US 10,027,751 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2017
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Data Scape Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Inventors: Morohashi, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU HA T
• Application Number:
  US15/651,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20170318090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 709203, 709204, 709201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2525 Magneto-optical [MO] discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2207/16 Solid state audio deprecated, only for historical reasons, G06F3/16, G11B
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 : for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand

Abstract

A communication apparatus configured to transmit data to an apparatus, the communication apparatus including: a storage medium configured to store management information of data to be transferred to the apparatus; a communicator configured to communicate data with the apparatus; a detector configured to detect whether the communication apparatus and the apparatus are connected; an editor configured to select certain data to be transferred and to edit the management information based on the selection without regard to the connection of the communication apparatus and the apparatus; and a controller configured to control transfer of the selected data stored in the communication apparatus to the apparatus via the communicator based on the management information edited by the editor when the detector detects that the communication apparatus and the apparatus are connected, wherein the controller is configured to compare the management information edited by the editor with management information of data stored in the apparatus, determine the size of the selected data in the communication apparatus, and transmit data in the communication apparatus based on result of the comparison and the determination.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus configured to transmit data to an apparatus, the communication apparatus comprising:

a hardware storage medium configured to store management information of data to be transferred to the apparatus;

a communicator configured to communicate data with the apparatus;

a detector configured to detect whether the communication apparatus and the apparatus are connected;

an editor configured to select certain data to be transferred and to edit the management information based on the selection without regard to the connection of the communication apparatus and the apparatus; and

a controller configured to control transfer of the selected data stored in the communication apparatus to the apparatus via the communicator based on the management information edited by the editor when the detector detects that the communication apparatus and the apparatus are connected,

wherein the controller is configured to

compare the management information edited by the editor with management information of data stored in the apparatus,

determine a size of the selected data in the communication apparatus, and

transmit data in the communication apparatus based on result of the comparison and the determination.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is portable, and wherein the storage medium has a data storage capacity larger than that of the apparatus.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control receiving of identification information of the apparatus via the communicator and to judge whether the identification information of the apparatus is predetermined identification information and to allow the transfer of data when the identification information of the apparatus is the predetermined identification information.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control a display unit to display a first window in which identification information of data stored in the communication apparatus is displayed and a second window in which identification information of the data to be transferred to the apparatus based on the management data edited by the editor is displayed.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the editor is configured to edit the management information of data to be transferred to the apparatus based on an input to the identification information of data displayed in at least one of the first window and the second window.

6. The communication apparatus according claim 1, wherein the apparatus is portable and the apparatus having a flash memory which stores the transferred data.

7. The communication apparatus according claim 1, wherein the apparatus is portable and the storage medium is a hard disk.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine that the determined size of the selected data is greater than an available storage space on the apparatus; and

request the apparatus to delete data stored on the apparatus based upon the determined size of the selected data and the available storage space on the apparatus.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein determining that the determined size of the selected data is greater than an available storage space on the apparatus is based upon the management data.

10. A communication method, comprising:

editing management information of data to be transferred from an apparatus to an external apparatus by selecting certain data to be transferred, the management information stored in a storage medium of the apparatus, without regard to the connection of the apparatus and the external apparatus;

detecting, at the apparatus, whether the apparatus and the external apparatus are connected;

comparing, by a controller at the apparatus, the edited management information with management information of data stored in the external apparatus;

determining, by the controller, a size of the selected data in the communication apparatus; and

transmitting, by the controller, the selected data from the apparatus to the external apparatus based on the management information, a result of the comparison, and a result of the determination when the detection indicates that the apparatus and the external apparatus are connected.

11. The method according claim 10, wherein the apparatus is portable, and wherein the storage medium has a data storage capacity larger than that of the apparatus.

12. The method according claim 10, further comprising:

receiving identification information of the apparatus;

judging whether the identification information of the external apparatus is predetermined identification information; and

starting the transmission of data when the identification information of the external apparatus is determined to be predetermined identification information.

13. The method according claim 10, further comprising:

displaying a first window in which identification information of data stored in the apparatus is displayed; and

displaying a second window in which identification information of the data to be transmitted to the external apparatus, based on the management data edited by the editor, is displayed.

14. The method according claim 13, further comprising editing the management information of data to be transmitted to the first apparatus based on an input to the identification information of data displayed in at least one of the external window and the second window.

15. The method according claim 10, wherein the apparatus is portable and the apparatus having a flash memory which stores the transferred data.

16. The method according claim 10, wherein the apparatus is portable and the storage medium is a hard disk.

17. The method according claim 10, further comprising:

determining that the determined size of the selected data is greater than an available storage space on the apparatus; and

requesting the apparatus to delete data stored on the apparatus based upon the determined size of the selected data and the available storage space on the apparatus.

18. The method according claim 17, wherein determining that the determined size of the selected data is greater than an available storage space on the apparatus is based upon the management data.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for execution by a processor in a communication device, the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising:

instructions for editing management information of data to be transferred from an apparatus to an external apparatus by selecting certain data to be transferred, the management information stored in a storage medium of the apparatus, without regard to the connection of the apparatus and the external apparatus;

instructions for detecting whether the apparatus and the external apparatus are connected;

instructions for comparing, by a controller, the edited management information with management information of data stored in the external apparatus;

instructions for determining, by the controller, a size of the selected data in the communication apparatus; and

instructions for transmitting, by the controller, the selected data from the apparatus to the external apparatus based on the management information, a result of the comparison, and a result of the determination when the detection indicates that the apparatus and the external apparatus are connected.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the apparatus is portable, and wherein the storage medium has a data storage capacity larger than that of the apparatus.

21. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising:

instructions for receiving identification information of the apparatus;

instructions for judging whether the identification information of the external apparatus is predetermined identification information; and

instructions for starting the transmission of data when the identification information of the external apparatus is determined to be predetermined identification information.

22. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising:

instructions for displaying a first window in which identification information of data stored in the apparatus is displayed; and

instructions for displaying a second window in which identification information of the data to be transmitted to the external apparatus, based on the management data edited by the editor, is displayed.

23. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 22, further comprising instructions for editing the management information of data to be transmitted to the first apparatus based on an input to the identification information of data displayed in at least one of the external window and the second window.

24. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the apparatus is portable and the apparatus having a flash memory which stores the transferred data.

25. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the apparatus is portable and the storage medium is a hard disk.

26. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising:

instructions for determining that the determined size of the selected data is greater than an available storage space on the apparatus; and

instructions for requesting the apparatus to delete data stored on the apparatus based upon the determined size of the selected data and the available storage space on the apparatus.

27. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein determining that the determined size of the selected data is greater than an available storage space on the apparatus is based upon the management data.