Apparatus and method for creating and supplying a program via communication network

• US 20020065880A1
• Filed: 11/21/2001
• Published: 05/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Nakamura, Akitoshi, Hasegawa, Yutaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,167,896 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/14 Arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A program creation/supply apparatus connects with a client apparatus via a communication network, and prompts the client apparatus to select one or items of content and enter desired additional information in correspondence with the selected items of content. Program file is created on the basis of content selection information and the additional information transmitted from the client apparatus. The thus-created program file is added to a database. When a user selects a desired program, the program file of the selected program and one or more items of content defining the program are read out from the database and supplied to the user via the communication network. Also, content created by the user can be received via the network and added to the database. The content added to the database can be selected for use in program file creation.

Claims

1. A program creation/supply apparatus connectable with a client apparatus via a communication network, comprising:

a storage section that stores a plurality of items of content and a program file defining one or more items of content; and

a processor section coupled with said storage section and adapted to;

prompt the client apparatus to select one or more items of content and to input desired additional information in correspondence with the items of content selected by the client apparatus; and

create a program file defined by the selected one or more items of content and including additional information, on the basis of content selection information and the additional information transmitted from the client apparatus via the communication network.

2. A program creation/supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said processor section allows a user of the client apparatus to select, from among the plurality of items of content stored in said storage section, only an item of content having been preset as usable by the user.

3. A program creation/supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said processor section supplies the client apparatus with a listing of usable items of content so that the client apparatus prompts a user of the client apparatus to select one or more desired items of content from the listing via the client apparatus.

4. A program creation/supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said processor section supplies the client apparatus with browser screen information so that the client apparatus prompts a user of the client apparatus to input desired additional information via the client apparatus.

5. A program creation/supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said processor section is adapted to store the created program file in said storage section.

6. A program creation/supply apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the created program file stored in said storage section is not only usable by the client apparatus having created the program file or a user of the client apparatus, but also usable by another client apparatus or a user of the other client apparatus.

7. A program creation/supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said processor section is adapted to, in response to a request of the client apparatus, read out a program file from said storage section and transmit the program file to the client apparatus, and said processor section is further adapted to read out one or items of content, defined by the transmitted program file, from said storage section and transmit the one or items of content to the client apparatus.

8. A program creation/supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said storage section contains a plurality of types of content having different characters.

9. A program creation/supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the additional information includes a comment about a corresponding item of content.

10. A program creation/supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein when the program file including the additional information is reproduced, the additional information is reproduced together with the program file.

11. A program creation/supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the additional information is visual information, and when the program file including the additional information is reproduced, the additional information is visually displayed on a display device.

12. A program creation/supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the program file defines reproducing order of a plurality of items of content.

14. A program creation/supply apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein said processor section is further adapted to:

prompt a client apparatus on the communication network to select a desired program file; and

read out the selected desired program file from said storage section on the basis of content selection information transmitted from the client apparatus via the communication network and transmit the selected desired program file to the client apparatus.

15. A program creation/supply apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein said processor section is further adapted to read out one or items of content, defined by the selected desired program file, from said storage section and transmit the one or items of content to the client apparatus.

16. A program creation/supply apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein the created program file stored in said storage section is not only usable by the client apparatus having created the program file or a user of the client apparatus, but also usable by another client apparatus or a user of the other client apparatus.

18. A program creation/supply apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein said processor section allows a user of the client apparatus to select, from among the plurality of items of content stored in said storage section, only an item of content having been preset as usable by the user.

19. A program creation/supply apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein said processor section is adapted to, in response to a request of the client apparatus, read out the program file from said storage section and transmit the program file to the client apparatus, and said processor section is further adapted to read out one or items of content, defined by the transmitted program file, from said storage section and transmit the one or items of content to the client apparatus.

20. A program creation/supply apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein said processor section supplies the client apparatus with browser screen information to be used for adding a desired item of content, to thereby allow the client apparatus to transmit a desired item of content.

13. A program creation/supply apparatus connectable with a client apparatus via a communication network, comprising:

a storage section that stores a plurality of items of content and a program file defining one or more items of content; and

a processor section coupled with said storage section and adapted to;

prompt the client apparatus to select one or more desired items of content;

create a program file defined by the selected one or more desired items of content, on the basis of content selection information transmitted from the client apparatus via the communication network; and

store the created program file in said storage section.

17. A program creation/supply apparatus connectable with a client apparatus via a communication network, comprising:

a storage section that stores a plurality of items of content and a program file defining one or items of content; and

a processor section coupled with said storage section and adapted to;

receive an item of content from the client apparatus via the communication network and additionally store the received item of content in said storage section;

prompt the client apparatus to select one or more desired items of content from among the items of content, including the additionally stored item of content, stored in said storage section; and

create a program file defined by the selected one or more desired items of content, on the basis of content selection information transmitted from the client apparatus via the communication network.

21. A program creation/supply apparatus connectable with a client apparatus via a communication network, comprising:

a storage section that stores a plurality of items of content and a program file defining one or items of content; and

a processor section coupled with said storage section and adapted to;

prompt the client apparatus to select one or more desired items of content;

create a program file defined by the selected one or more desired items of content, on the basis of content selection information transmitted from said client apparatus via the communication network and additionally store the created program file in said storage section;

prompt a given client apparatus on the communication network to select a desired program file from among a plurality of program files, including the additionally stored program file, stored in said storage section; and

download, to the given client apparatus, the selected desired program file and content defining the selected desired program file, on the basis of program file selection information transmitted from the given client apparatus via the communication network,

wherein the given client apparatus can use the downloaded program file and content defining the downloaded program file on an offline basis.

22. A program creation/supply apparatus as claimed in claim 21 wherein when the given client apparatus having selected the desired program file is not the client apparatus that created the program file, said processor section is further adapted to determine whether or not the selected desired program file and content defining the selected desired program file may be downloaded to the given client apparatus.

23. A computer program comprising computer program code means for causing said computer to perform a method for creating and supplying a program by means of an apparatus connectable with a client via a communication network, said apparatus including a storage section that stores a plurality of items of content and a program file defining one or items of content, said method comprising:

a step of prompting the client to select one or items of content and to input desired additional information in correspondence with the items of content selected by the client; and

a step of creating a program file defined by the one or items of content selected by the client and including additional information, on the basis of content selection information and the additional information transmitted from the client via the communication network.

24. A computer program comprising computer program code means for causing said computer to perform a method for creating and supplying a program by means of an apparatus connectable with a client via a communication network, said apparatus including a storage section that stores a plurality of items of content and a program file defining one or items of content, said method comprising:

a step of prompting the client to select one or more desired items of content;

a step of creating a program file defined by the one or more desired items of content selected by the client, on the basis of content selection information transmitted from the client via the communication network; and

a step of storing the program file, created by said step of creating, in said storage section.

25. A computer program comprising computer program code means for causing said computer to perform a method for creating and supplying a program by means of an apparatus connectable with a client via a communication network, said apparatus including a storage section that stores a plurality of items of content and a program file defining one or items of content, said method comprising:

a step of receiving an item of content from the client via the communication network and additionally storing the received item of content in said storage section;

a step of prompting the client to select one or more desired items of content from among the items of content, including the additionally stored item of content, stored in said storage section; and

a step of creating a program file defined by the one or more desired items of content selected by the client, on the basis of content selection information transmitted from the client via the communication network.

26. A computer program comprising computer program code means for causing said computer to perform a method for creating and supplying a program by means of an apparatus connectable with a client via a communication network, said apparatus including a storage section that stores a plurality of items of content and a program file defining one or items of content, said method comprising:

a step of prompting the client to select one or more desired items of content;

a step of creating a program file defined by the one or more desired items of content selected by the client, on the basis of content selection information transmitted from the client via the communication network and additionally storing the created program file in said storage section;

a step of prompting a given client on the communication network to select a desired program file from among a plurality of program files, including the additionally stored program file, stored in said storage section; and

a step of downloading, to the given client, the selected desired program file and content defining the selected desired program file, on the basis of program file selection information transmitted from the given client via the communication network,

wherein the given client can use the downloaded program file and content defining the downloaded program file on an off line basis.