Apparatus, method, and program for content distribution

• US 20020184223A1
• Filed: 05/30/2002
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Miura, Koji
• Application Number:
  US10/156,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20020184223A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25825 involving client display capabilities, e.g. screen resolution of a mobile phone optimising the visualisation of content during browsing in the Internet G06F16/9577; processing of terminal status or physical abilities in wireless networks H04W8/22; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64792 Controlling the complexity of the content stream, e.g. by dropping packets intermediate media network packet handling H04L65/765; proxy provisioning conversion or adaptation for reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data H04L67/5651; negotiation of resources in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

A news content receiving terminal 102 transmits an identifier of a news content to be requested and a terminal capability level to a news content distribution server 101. A variation database 105 manages variations of each content for every receiving terminal capability level. Based on the variation database 105, a variation to be distributed is determined. A meta database 103 manages meta data of each content. A meta data interpreting section 107 parses the meta data to obtain the variation to be transmitted. A usage rule database 104 manages usage rules for every set of a news content and the receiving terminal capability level. Based on the usage rule database 104, the usage rule to be distributed is determined. Thus, the usage rule according to the variation of the content can be distributed.

Claims

1. A content distribution apparatus for distributing a content and a usage rule of the content to a content receiving terminal, wherein

the content has a plurality of variations, and

the content distribution apparatus comprises:

a content managing section operable to manage the content;

a usage rule managing section operable to manage the usage rule of the content; and

a communications section operable to distribute, to the content receiving terminal, a predetermined one the variations of the content managed by the content management section and the usage rule dynamically determined according to the predetermined variation.

2. The content distribution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the usage rule managing section manages the usage rule for each capability level of the content receiving terminal, and

the communications section distributes, to the content receiving terminal, the usage rule corresponding to the capability level of the content receiving terminal.

3. The content distribution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the usage rule managing section manages the usage rule for each variation attribute indicating how the variation is related to the content, and

the communications section distributes, to the content receiving terminal, the usage rule corresponding to the variation attribute of the predetermined variation.

4. The content distribution apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a meta data managing section operable to manage meta data indicating how the content is related to the plurality of variations, wherein

the variation to be distributed to the content receiving terminal is determined based on the meta data.

5. The content distribution apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the meta data complies with MPEG-7 standards, and

the variation to be distributed to the content receiving terminal is determined based on details described between variation tags in the meta data.

6. The content distribution apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising

a meta data managing section operable to manage meta data indicating how the content is related to the plurality of variations, wherein

the meta data complies with MPEG-7 standards, and

the variation to be distributed to the content receiving terminal is determined based on a variation attribute indicated between variation attribute tags in the meta data.

7. A content distribution method of distributing a content and a usage rule of the content to a content receiving terminal, wherein

the content has a plurality of variations, and

the content distribution method comprises:

a content managing step of managing the content;

a usage rule managing step of manage the usage rule of the content; and

a communicating step of distributing, to the content receiving terminal, a predetermined one of the variations of the content managed in the content management step and the usage rule dynamically determined according to the predetermined variation.

8. The content distribution method according to claim 7, wherein

in the usage rule managing step, the usage rule is managed for each capability level of the content receiving terminal, and

in the communicating step, the usage rule corresponding to the capability level of the content receiving terminal is distributed to the content receiving terminal.

9. The content distribution method according to claim 7, wherein

in the usage rule managing step, the usage rule is managed for each variation attribute indicating how the variation is related to the content, and

in the communicating step, the usage rule corresponding to the variation attribute of the predetermined variation is distributed to the content receiving terminal.

10. The content distribution method according to claim 7, further comprising

a meta data managing step of managing meta data indicating how the content is related to the plurality of variations, wherein

the variation to be distributed to the content receiving terminal is determined based on the meta data.

11. The content distribution method according to claim 10, wherein

the meta data complies with MPEG-7 standards, and

the variation to be distributed to the content receiving terminal is determined based on details described between variations tags in the meta data.

12. The content distribution method according to claim 9, further comprising

a meta data managing step of managing meta data indicating how the content is related to the plurality of variations, wherein

the meta data complies with MPEG-7 standards, and

the variation to be distributed to the content receiving terminal is determined based on a variation attribute indicated between variation attribute tags in the meta data.

13. A content distribution program executed by a computer for distributing a content having a plurality of variations and a usage rule of the content to a content receiving terminal, the program comprising:

a content managing step of managing the content;

a usage rule managing step of manage the usage rule of the content; and

a communicating step of distributing, to the content receiving terminal, a predetermined one of the variations of the content managed in the content management step and the usage rule dynamically determined according to the predetermined variation.