Server reservation method, reservation control apparatus and program storage medium

• US 20020052917A1
• Filed: 08/21/2001
• Published: 05/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nishimura, Takanori, Ihara, Keigo, Fukuda, Junko, Sueyoshi, Takahiko, Yoshimine, Takao
• Granted Patent: US 7,281,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5083 wherein the managed service relates to web hosting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/72 using reservation actions during connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

To allow many users to efficiently use functions of a processing server that performs predetermined processing, via a network and also prevent a time during which an user can use the processing server, from being shortened due to a difference between the times recognized by the user side and processing server side. In a content supply system 100, in order to use a streaming server 102 to perform a live distribution, an user PC 106 to be used makes a reservation for a time zone, etc. to a server reservation control center 101 over the Internet 103. When the reservation is accepted, the server reservation control center 101 sends the real time information of the service provider side that controls the service time of the streaming server 102 based on the reservation, over the Internet 103.

Claims

1. A server reservation method whereby a user terminal apparatus makes a reservation for the use of a processing server that performs predetermined processing to a reservation control apparatus that controls the reservation state of said processing server via a network in order for said user terminal apparatus to use functions of said processing server by accessing said processing server via a network, said server reservation method comprising:

a reservation requesting step of sending reservation request information including a desired service time to use said processing server, from said user terminal apparatus to said reservation control apparatus via the network; and

a time transmitting step of transmitting, when the reservation for the use of said processing server during said desired service time included in said reservation request information is accepted, the real time information of server side to be used for time control when the reservation for the use of said processing server is executed, from said reservation control apparatus to said user terminal apparatus via the network.

2. The server reservation method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a time difference calculating step of calculating the difference in real time between said server side and said user terminal apparatus; and

a time difference notifying step of notifying the user of said user terminal apparatus of said time difference calculated.

3. The server reservation method according to claim 1, further comprising

a correcting step of correcting the real time information of said user terminal apparatus based on said real time information of server side.

4. The server reservation method according to claim 1, wherein

said predetermined processing executed by said processing server is processing of distributing content data by streaming to a requesting client terminal apparatus via the network.

5. The server reservation method according to claim 1, wherein

said processing server uses real time information acquired from a predetermined network time protocol (NTP) server, for time control as said real time information of server side, and

in said time transmitting step, said reservation control apparatus acquires real time information from said predetermined network time protocol (NTP) server and sends said real time information to said user terminal apparatus as said real time information server side.

6. A reservation control apparatus that controls reservations for the use of a processing server that carries out predetermined processing, in order for a user terminal apparatus to use functions of said processing server by accessing said processing server via a network, said reservation control apparatus comprising:

receiving means for receiving reservation request information including a desired service time to use said processing server sent from said user terminal apparatus via the network; and

time transmitting means for transmitting, when the reservation for the use of said processing server during said desired service time included in said reservation request information is accepted, real time information of server side to be used for time control when the reservation for the use of said processing server is executed, to said user terminal apparatus via a network.

7. The reservation control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

when said processing server uses the real time information acquired from said predetermined network time protocol (NTP) server for time control as said real time information of server side, said time transmitting means acquires the real time information from said predetermined network time protocol (NTP) server and sends said real time information to said user terminal apparatus as said real time information of server side.

8. A program storage medium storing a program to be executed by a reservation control apparatus that controls reservations for the use of a processing server that carries out predetermined processing in order for a user terminal apparatus to use functions of said processing server by accessing said processing server via a network, said program comprising:

reception processing of receiving reservation request information including a desired service time to use said processing server sent from said user terminal apparatus via the network; and

time transmission processing of transmitting, when the reservation for the use of said processing server during said desired service time included in said reservation request information is accepted, time information of server side to be used for time control when the reservation for the use of said processing server is executed, to said user terminal apparatus via the network.