Information processing system, terminal device, method and medium

• US 20020073081A1
• Filed: 05/25/2001
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kido, Toshiharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,409,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A technology provides a function capable of simply passively utilizing a multiplicity of contents on networks. An information processing system (1, 11) includes a storage unit (3, 4, 13, 14) for storing information, and a control unit (2, 12), wherein the control unit (2, 12) searches locating information for locating where data exists, and judges whether or not the data located by the locating information comes under a predetermined category, and the storage unit (3, 4, 13, 14), when the data is judged to come under the predetermined category, stores the locating information and collects pieces of locating information for locating where the data exist.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising:

a storage unit storing information; and

a control unit,

wherein said control unit searches locating information for locating where data exists, and judges whether or not the data located by the locating information comes under a predetermined category, and

said storage unit, when the data is judged to come under the predetermined category, stores the locating information to collect pieces of locating information for locating where the data exist.

2. An information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a communication unit for accessing a network, or a communication connection module through which said communication unit is connected,

wherein said control unit searches the locating information retained in other information processing system on the network.

3. An information processing system according to claim 2, where in aid communication unit receives a selection criterion for selecting the data and

said control unit judges whether or not the data is coincident with the selection criterion and collects pieces of locating information tracing to the data coincident with the selection criterion.

4. An information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising an input unit,

wherein said input unit receives an input of the selection criterion for selecting the data, and

said control unit judges whether or not the data is coincident with the selection criterion and collects pieces of locating information tracing to the data coincident with the selection criterion.

5. An information processing system according to claim 2, wherein said communication unit receives a request for collecting the locating information from a terminal device connected to the network, and

said control unit gets the collected locating information displayed on said terminal device.

6. An information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit for displaying the information, or a first connection module through which said display unit is connected,

wherein said control unit gets the collected locating information displayed on said display unit.

7. An information processing system according to claim 5, wherein said control unit searches character information related to the data, and gets the character information displayed in a way of being combined with the locating information.

8. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein categories of the data are still image data, sound data, animated image data, text data, or combinations thereof.

9. An information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input unit;

a display unit displaying information, or a first connection module through which said display unit is connected; and

a sound output unit outputting sounds, or a second connection module through which said sound output unit is connected,

wherein said control unit, when commanded to output the data via said input unit, gets the content described by the data outputted to said display unit or said sound output unit.

10. An information processing system according to claim 9, wherein said control unit gets a plurality of contents consecutively outputted, which are located by plural pieces of locating information collected.

11. A terminal device comprising:

a communication unit accessing a network, or a communication connection module through which said communication unit is connected; and

a control unit,

wherein said control unit requests a server on the network to collect pieces of locating information for locating where data exist, the data located by the locating information coming under a predetermined category, thus collecting the locating information.

12. A terminal device according to claim 11, further comprising a display unit displaying the information, or a first connection module through which said display unit is connected,

wherein said control unit gets the collected locating information displayed on said display unit.

13. A terminal device according to claim 11, further comprising:

an input unit;

a display unit displaying information, or a first connection module through which said display unit is connected; and

a sound output unit outputting sounds, or a second connection module through which said sound output unit is connected,

wherein said control unit, when commanded to output the data via said input unit, gets the content described by the data outputted to said display unit or said sound output unit.

14. A terminal device according to claim 13, wherein said control unit gets a plurality of contents consecutively outputted, which are located by plural pieces of locating information collected.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the content data are retained in other system accessible via a network.

17. A system according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined condition is specified by a user.

18. A system according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined condition is to specify a specific genre of the content.

19. A system according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined condition is to specify a specific data category.

20. A system according to claim 15, wherein the content data are stream data.

15. A system comprising:

a search unit searching content data corresponding to predetermined conditions;

a sequence determining unit determining a sequence of reproducing the content data searched; and

a reproduction control unit controlling the reproduction of the content data in accordance with the reproducing sequence.

21. A method of collecting locating information for indicating a location of data, comprising:

searching locating information for locating where data exists;

judging whether or not the data comes under a predetermined category; and

storing, when judging that the data comes under the predetermined category, the locating information.

22. A method according to claim 21, further comprising accessing a network, wherein the data are stored in an information processing system on the network.

23. A method according to claim 22, further comprising:

receiving a selection criterion for selecting the data; and

judging whether or not the data is coincident with the selection criterion,

wherein pieces of locating information tracing to the data coincident with the selection criterion are collected.

24. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

receiving specification of a selection criterion for selecting the data; and

judging whether or not the data is coincident with the selection criterion,

wherein pieces of locating information tracing to the data coincident with the selection criterion are collected.

25. A method according to claim 21, further comprising generating display information for getting the collected locating information displayed.

26. A method according to claim 21, further comprising displaying the collected locating information.

27. A method according to claim 25, further comprising searching character information related to the data,

wherein the character information is displayed in a way of being combined with the locating information.

28. A method according to claim 21, wherein categories of the data are still image data, sound data, animated image data, text data, or combinations thereof.

29. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

selecting the data indicated by the locating information;

giving a command to output the data; and

outputting the content described by the data.

33. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

searching the data indicated by the locating information;

outputting the content described by the data; and

repeating steps of searching and outputting with respect to plural pieces of locating information collected.

36. A storage medium readable by a machine tangible embodying a program according to claim 35, of instructions executable by the machine, the method steps further comprising accessing a network,

wherein the data are stored in an information processing system on the network.

37. A storage medium readable by a machine tangible embodying a program according to claim 36, of instructions executable by the machine, the method steps further comprising:

receiving a selection criterion for selecting the data; and

judging whether or not the data is coincident with the selection criterion,

wherein pieces of locating information tracing to the data coincident with the selection criterion are collected.

38. A storage medium readable by a machine tangible embodying a program according to claim 35, of instructions executable by the machine, the method steps further comprising:

accepting a input of selection criterion for selecting the data; and

judging whether or not the data is coincident with the selection criterion,

wherein pieces of locating information tracing to the data coincident with the selection criterion are collected.

39. A storage medium readable by a machine tangible embodying a program according to claim 35, of instructions executable by the machine, the method steps further comprising generating display information for getting the collected locating information displayed.

40. A storage medium readable by a machine tangible embodying a program according to claim 35, of instructions executable by the machine, the method steps further comprising displaying the collected locating information.

41. A storage medium readable by a machine tangible embodying a program according to claim 39, of instructions executable by the machine, the method steps further comprising searching character information related to the data,

wherein the character information is displayed in a way of being combined with the locating information.

42. A storage medium readable by a machine tangible embodying a program according to claim 35, wherein categories of the data are still image data, sound data, animated image data, text data, or combinations thereof.

43. A storage medium readable by a machine tangible embodying a program according to claim 35, of instructions executable by the machine, the method steps further comprising:

accepting a selection of the data indicated by the locating information;

accepting a command to output the data; and

outputting the content described by the data.

47. A storage medium readable by a machine tangible embodying a program according to claim 35, of instructions executable by the machine, the method steps further comprising:

searching the data indicated by the locating information;

outputting the content described by the data; and

repeating steps of searching and outputting with respect to plural pieces of locating information collected.

30. A method of collecting locating information for indicating a location of data, comprising:

requesting a server on the network to collect pieces of locating information for locating where data exist, the data located by the locating information coming under a predetermined category; and

receiving the locating information.

31. A method according to claim 30, further comprising getting the locating information displayed,

32. A method according to claim 30, further comprising:

accepting a selection of the data indicated by the locating information;

accepting a command to output the data; and

outputting the content described by the data.

49. A method according to claim 30, further comprising:

searching the data indicated by the locating information;

outputting the content described by the data; and

repeating steps of searching and outputting with respect to plural pieces of locating information collected.

34. A method comprising:

searching content data coincident with a predetermined condition;

determining a sequence of reproducing the content data searched; and

controlling the reproduction of the content data in accordance with the reproducing sequence.

35. A storage medium readable by a machine, tangible embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps comprising:

searching locating information for locating where data exists;

judging whether or not the data comes under a predetermined category; and

storing, when judging that the data comes under the predetermined category, the locating information to collect the locating information for indicating the locations of the data.

44. A storage medium readable by a machine, tangible embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for collecting locating information for indicating a location of data, comprising:

requesting a server on the network to collect pieces of locating information for locating where data exist, the data located by the locating information coming under a predetermined category; and

receiving the locating information.

45. A storage medium readable by a machine tangible embodying a program according to claim 44, of instructions executable by the machine, the method steps further comprising getting the locating information displayed,

46. A storage medium readable by a machine tangible embodying a program according to claim 44, of instructions executable by the machine, the method steps further comprising:

accepting a selection of the data indicated by the locating information;

accepting a command to output the data; and

outputting the content described by the data.

50. A storage medium readable by a machine tangible embodying a program according to claim 44, of instructions executable by the machine, the method steps further comprising:

searching the data indicated by the locating information;

outputting the content described by the data; and

repeating steps of searching and outputting with respect to plural pieces of locating information collected.

48. A storage medium readable by a machine, tangible embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps comprising:

searching content data coincident with a predetermined condition;

determining a sequence of reproducing the content data searched; and

controlling the reproduction of the content data in accordance with the reproducing sequence.