Server apparatus to distribute music data

• US 20020002620A1
• Filed: 06/28/2001
• Published: 01/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Graphic Communication Systems, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ozawa, Masatoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,146,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/237
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A server apparatus to transmit music data is provided with a distribution request process section that receives music number, a reading section that reads out the music data from a contents server, and a notification process section that notifies the terminal of the music number, the size of the music data and the starting block number of the music data. The music data is divided into a plurality of block units. The server further includes a reception process section that receives a response from the terminal confirming the music number, the size of the music data and the starting block number of the music data, a communication section that transmits each block of the music data to the terminal, a block confirmation reception section that receives a confirmation notification from the terminal when the terminal normally receives each block of the music data. A control section, when the confirmation notification is received, transmits the next block of the music data, and, when the confirmation notification is not received within a predetermined period, executes an error process.

Claims

1. A server apparatus to distribute music data, comprising:

a distribution request process section that receives a music number identifying the music data requested by a terminal;

a reading section that reads the music data from a contents server;

a notification process section that notifies the terminal of the received music number, a size of the music data and a starting block number of the music data, the music data being divided into a plurality of block units;

a reception process section that receives a response from the terminal after notification of the music number, the size of the music data and the starting block number of the music data;

a communication section that transmits each block of the music data to the terminal;

a block confirmation reception section that receives a confirmation notification transmitted from the terminal when the terminal receives each block of the music data normally, and

a control section that, when the confirmation notification is received, transmits the next block of the music data, and that, when the confirmation notification is not received within a predetermined time period, executes an error process.

2. The server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the error process includes judging one of at least inadequate a memory size, disagreement between the music number in contents server and the music number requested by the terminal, and disagreement between the starting block of the content server and the starting block of the terminal.

3. The server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control section resets the music number, the size of the music data and the starting block number to retransmit the music data when said reception process section does not receive the response from the terminal for a predetermined time period.

4. A server apparatus to distribute music data, comprising:

a distribution request process section that receives a music number identifying the music data requested from terminal;

a reading section that reads out the music data from a contents server;

a notification process section that notifies the terminal of the received music number, a size of the music data and a starting block number of the music data, the music data being divided into a plurality of block units;

a reception process section that receives a response from the terminal after notification of the music number, the size of the music data and the starting block number of the music data;

a communication section that transmits each block of the music data to the terminal;

a block confirmation reception section that receives a confirmation notification transmitted from the terminal when the terminal receives each block of the music data normally, and

a control section that, when the confirmation notification is received, transmits the next block of the music data, and that, when the confirmation notification is not received within a predetermined time period, stores the starting block and the music number for retransmission to the terminal, and executes retransmission of the music data.

5. A receiving terminal apparatus to receive music data, comprising:

a distribution request reception section that receives distribution information including a music number identifying the requested music data, a size of the music data and a starting block number of the music data, the music data being divided into a plurality of block units;

a music data reception section that receives the music data of a block unit after the distribution information is received;

a transmission section that transmits a confirmation signal after each block of the music data is normally received;

a control section that receives each block of the music data sequentially until reception of the music data is completed, and

a memory that stores the received music data.

6. The receiving terminal apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said control section checks a size of said memory, the music number and the starting block of the music data, when they are appropriate, said control section controls said music data reception section to receive the music data.

7. A music distribution system, comprising:

a distribution server that stores a plurality of music data, and

a reception terminal connected to said distribution server, said reception terminal receiving the music data transmitted from said distribution server;

wherein said distribution server notifies the reception terminal of a music number identifying the music data, a size of the music data and a starting block number of the music data, the music data being divided into a plurality of block units;

wherein said reception terminal responds to said distribution server after said reception terminal confirms the music number, the size of the music data and the starting block number;

wherein said distribution server sequentially transmits the music data in block units to said reception terminal when said distribution server receives the response from said reception terminal.

8. The music distribution system according to claim 7, wherein when said reception terminal cannot receive the music data because of a shortage in a remaining amount of a memory, said reception terminal notifies said distribution server of a reason for the non-reception.

9. The music distribution system according to claim 7, wherein when the transmission of the music data is suspended in a middle of the music data and said distribution server retransmits the music data to said reception terminal, said distribution server notifies said reception terminal of the starting block number for retransmission, and

said reception terminal confirms the starting block number to receive the music data.