Multimedia information transfer via a wide area network

• US 20010013061A1
• Filed: 01/26/2001
• Published: 08/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SONY CORPORATION AND SONY ELECTRONICS, INC.
• Original Assignee: SONY CORPORATION AND SONY ELECTRONICS, INC.
• Inventors: DeMartin, Frank, Douma, Peter, Miccoli, Denise
• Granted Patent: US 7,054,921 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/04 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying a further explanation

Abstract

Using a music oriented Web site, a “student” user requests a tutorial or tour of a musical artist or genre on the World Wide Web portion of the Internet. The “expert” user peruses the “student” personal music library and creates a playlist for that library to assist in further understanding of the music by the “student” user. The playlist is transferred to a server which generates a command file. This command file is sent to the “student” user to control various multimedia components according to the “expert” user'"'"'s selection. This tutorial may be accompanied by the “expert” user'"'"'s personal commentary on his/her selections.

Claims

1. A system for accessing, over a wide area network, multimedia equipment for reproducing multimedia information recorded on data storage media, comprising:

means for generating a list of contents of the multimedia information, the list of contents being modified to include only user selected multimedia information;

means for converting the modified list of contents to at least one command for controlling the multimedia equipment; and

means for controlling the multimedia equipment based on said one command, wherein the user selected multimedia information is reproduced on the multimedia equipment based on the modified list of contents.

2. The system according to

claim 1

, further comprising means for providing a user interface for requesting the list of contents to be modified, and means for transferring the list of contents over the wide area network.

3. The system according to

claim 1

, wherein the list of contents is generated by a first user and is transferred via the wide area network to a second user that modifies the list of contents, wherein the modified list of contents is transferred via the wide area network to the first user for reproducing the multimedia information only as selected by the second user.

4. The system according to

claim 1

, wherein the list of contents is generated on the basis of data uniquely identifying the contents of each data storage medium in the data storage media.

5. The system according to

claim 1

, wherein the list of contents is generated and modified by a first user, wherein the modified list of contents is transferred via the wide area network to a second user for reproducing the multimedia information only as selected by the first user.

6. A system for sharing, over a wide area network, multimedia information recorded on a data storage medium in multimedia equipment, comprising:

means for reading the multimedia information from the data storage medium in the multimedia equipment of a first user;

means for transferring the read multimedia information to a second user over the wide area network; and

means for reproducing the transferred multimedia information in the multimedia equipment of the second user.

7. The system according to

claim 6

, further comprising means for providing a user interface for requesting the transfer of the multimedia information, and means for transferring the multimedia information over the wide area network.

8. A method for accessing, over a wide area network, multimedia equipment for reproducing multimedia information recorded on data storage media, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a list of contents of the multimedia information, the list of contents being modified to include only user selected multimedia information;

converting the modified list of contents to at least one command for controlling the multimedia equipment; and

controlling the multimedia equipment based on said one command, wherein the user selected multimedia information is reproduced on the multimedia equipment based on the modified list of contents.

9. The method according to

claim 8

, further comprising the step of providing a user interface for requesting the list of contents to be modified, and means for transferring the list of contents over the wide area network.

10. The method according to

claim 8

, wherein the list of contents is generated by a first user and is transferred via the wide area network to a second user that modifies the list of contents, wherein the modified list of contents is transferred via the wide area network to the first user for reproducing the multimedia information only as selected by the second user.

11. The method according to

claim 8

, wherein the list of contents is generated on the basis of data uniquely identifying the contents of each data storage medium in said data storage media.

12. The method according to

claim 8

, wherein the list of contents is generated and modified by a first user, wherein the modified list of contents is transferred via the wide area network to a second user for reproducing the multimedia information only as selected by the first user.