Content distribution system, content distribution control server, content transmission processing control method, content transmission processing control program, content transmission processing control program storage medium, content transmission device, content transmission method, content transmission control program and content transmission control program storage medium

• US 20020194351A1
• Filed: 05/13/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2001
• 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 7,334,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In a content distribution system, content distribution control server, content transmission processing control method, content transmission processing control program, content transmission processing control program storage medium, content transmission device, content transmission control program, and content transmission control program storage medium, content can be reliably transmitted in accordance with the communication environment of a user terminal. A live casting server 150 of a server reservation control center 5 limits the number of streams by which the user PC 4 performs the parallel transmission of a plurality of live content at different transmission rates, in accordance with the type of circuit, which can previously prevent the user PC 4 from performing the parallel transmission of live content using the untransmittable number of streams, thus making it possible to reliably transmit the live content in accordance with the communication environment of the user PC 4.

Claims

1. A content distribution system comprising a user terminal and a content distribution control server for distributing content received from said user terminal to clients over a network, said content distribution system wherein:

said user terminal transmits the type of circuit which can connect said user terminal and said network, as circuit-type information to said content distribution control server; and

said content distribution control server limits the number of streams according to said circuit-type information, said number of streams being used when said user terminal performs the parallel transmission of a plurality of said content at different transmission rates to the content distribution control server via said circuit.

2. The content distribution system according to claim 1, wherein:

said user terminal transmits said circuit-type information including the contents of service desired by a user in addition to said type of circuit, to said content distribution control server; and

said content distribution control server limits said number of streams according to said type of circuit and said contents of service.

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

said content distribution control server notifies said user terminal of said number of streams, the maximum band of said circuit and the transmission rate for each stream as setting information.

4. The content distribution system according to claim 3, wherein

said content distribution control server notifies said user terminal of a recommended value of the transmission rate of said each stream as setting information.

5. The content distribution system according to claim 1, wherein:

said content distribution control server notifies said user terminal of a content distribution control server address, the band of said content distribution control server and the telephone number of said dedicated circuit as minimum essential setting information; and

said user terminal displays a graphical user interface (GUI) screen showing items required to be set by a user, based on said setting information.

6. A content distribution control server, connected to a user terminal via a network, for distributing content received from said user terminal, to clients, said content distribution control server comprising:

receiving means for receiving the type of circuit which can connect said user terminal and said network, as circuit-type information from said user terminal;

number-of-streams control means for limiting the number of streams according to said circuit-type information, said number of streams being used when said user terminal performs the parallel transmission of a plurality of said content at different transmission rates to said content distribution control server via said circuit.

7. The content distribution control server according to claim 6, wherein:

said receiving means receives said circuit-type information including the contents of service desired by a user in addition to said type of circuit, from said user terminal; and

said number-of-streams control means limits said number of streams according to said type of circuit and said contents of service.

8. The content distribution control server according to claim 6, wherein

said number-of-streams control means notifies said user terminal of said number of streams, the maximum band of said circuit and the transmission rate of each stream as setting information.

9. The content distribution control server according to claim 8, wherein

said number-of-streams control means notifies said user terminal of a recommended value of the transmission rate of said each stream as said setting information.

10. The content distribution control server according to claim 6, wherein

said number-of-streams control means notifies said user terminal of a content distribution control server address, the band of said content distribution control server and the telephone number of said dedicated circuit as minimum essential setting information, and makes said user terminal display a GUI screen showing items required to be set by a user, based on said setting information.

11. A content transmission processing control method for controlling transmission processing performed by a user terminal to transmit content via a network, from the outside, said content transmission processing control method, comprising:

a receiving step of receiving the type of circuit which can connect said user terminal and said network, as circuit-type information from said user terminal; and

a number-of-streams control step of limiting the number of streams according to said circuit-type information, said number of streams being used when said user terminal performs the parallel transmission of a plurality of content at different transmission rates via said circuit.

12. The content transmission processing control method according to claim 11, wherein:

said receiving step is to receive said circuit-type information including the contents of service desired by a user in addition to said type of circuit, from the user terminal; and

said number-of-streams control step is to limit said number of streams according to said type of circuit and said contents of service.

13. The content transmission processing control method according to claim 11, wherein

said number-of-streams control step is to notify said user terminal of the number of streams, the maximum band of said circuit and the transmission rate of each stream, as setting information.

14. The content transmission processing control method according to claim 13, wherein

said number-of-streams control step is to notify said user terminal of a recommended value of the transmission rate of said each stream as said setting information.

15. The content transmission processing control method according to claim 11, wherein

said number-of-streams control step is to notify said user terminal of a content distribution control server address, the band of said content distribution control server, and the telephone number of said dedicated circuit as minimum essential setting information, and to make said user terminal display a GUI screen showing items required to be set by a user, based on said setting information.

17. The content transmission processing control program according to claim 16, wherein:

said receiving step is to receive said circuit-type information including the contents of service desired by a user in addition to said type of circuit from said user terminal; and

said number-of-streams control step is to limit the number of streams according to said type of circuit and said contents of service.

18. The content transmission processing control program according to claim 16, wherein

said number-of-streams control step is to notify said user terminal of said number of streams, the maximum band of said circuit, and the transmission rate of each stream as setting information.

19. The content transmission processing control program according to claim 18, wherein

said number-of-streams control step is to notify said user terminal of a recommended value of the transmission rate of said each stream as said setting information.

16. A content transmission processing control program for making a computer for distributing content received from a user terminal via a network, to client, execute:

a receiving step of receiving the type of circuit which can connect said user terminal and said network, as circuit-type information from said user terminal; and

a number-of-streams control step of limiting the number of streams according to said circuit-type information, said number of streams being used when said user terminal performs the parallel transmission of a plurality of said content at plural transmission rates via said circuit to said content distribution control server.

20. The content transmission processing control program, wherein

said number-of-streams control step is to notify said user terminal of a content distribution control server address, the band of said content distribution control server and the telephone number of said dedicated circuit as minimum essential setting information, and to make said user terminal display a GUI screen showing items required to be set by a user, based on said setting information.

21. A content transmission processing control program storage medium for making a content distribution control server execute a content transmission processing control program comprising:

a receiving step such that said content distribution control server for distributing content received from a user terminal connected via a network, to clients receives the type of circuit which can connect said user terminal and said network, as circuit-type information from said user terminal; and

a number-of-streams control step is to limit the number of streams according to said circuit-type information, said number of streams being used when said user terminal performs the parallel transmission of a plurality of said content at different transmission rates via said circuit.

22. The content transmission processing control program storage medium according to claim 21, wherein:

said receiving step is to receive said circuit-type information including the contents of service desired by a user in addition to said type of circuit, from said user terminal; and

said number-of-streams control step is to limit said number of streams according to said type of circuit and said contents of service.

23. The content transmission processing control program storage medium according to claim 21, wherein

said number-of-streams control step is to notify said user terminal of said number of streams, the maximum band of said circuit and the transmission rate of each stream as setting information.

24. The content transmission processing control program storage medium according to claim 23, wherein

said number-of-streams control step is to notify said user terminal of a recommended value of the transmission rate of said each stream as said setting information.

25. The content transmission processing control program storage medium according to claim 21, wherein

said number-of-streams control step is to notify said user terminal of a content distribution control server address, the band of said content distribution control server, and the telephone number of said dedicated circuit as minimum essential setting information, and to make said user terminal display a GUI screen showing items required to be set by a user, based on said setting information.

27. The content distribution system according to claim 26, wherein

said content transmission device automatically sets the transmission rate of each stream to be used to perform the parallel transmission of said content to said content distribution control server, based on said setting information including the maximum band of said circuit and the transmission rate of said each stream to be used to transmit said content.

28. The content distribution system according to claim 27, wherein

said content transmission device automatically sets the t transmission rate of said each stream corresponding to a recommended value based on said setting information including the recommended value of the transmission rate of said each stream.

29. The content distribution system according to claim 26, wherein

said content transmission device automatically takes in said setting information from said content distribution control server, and displays a GUI screen where the transmission rate of each stream of said number of streams is selectable, based on said setting information.

30. The content distribution system according to claim 26, wherein

said content transmission device receives a content distribution control server address, the band of said content distribution control server and the telephone number of said circuit as minimum essential setting information from said content distribution control server, and displays a GUI screen showing items required to be set by a user, based on said setting information.

26. A content distribution system comprising a content transmission device for providing content and a content distribution control server for distributing said content received from said content transmission device to clients over a network, said content distribution system wherein:

said content distribution control server receives the type of circuit which can connect said content transmission device and said network, as circuit-type information from said content transmission device, limits the number of streams according to said circuit-type information, and notifies said content transmission device of said limited number of streams as setting information, said number of streams being used when said content transmission device performs the parallel transmission of a plurality of said content at different transmission rates via said circuit; and

said content transmission device automatically limits and sets said number of streams to be used to perform the parallel transmission to said content distribution control server, based on said setting information.

31. A content transmission device for transmitting content to a content distribution control server connected via a network, in order to distribute said content to clients via said content distribution control server, said content transmission device comprising:

transmitting means for transmitting the type of circuit which can connect said content transmission device and said network, to said content distribution control server as circuit-type information;

receiving means for receiving the number of streams as setting information from said content distribution control server, said number of streams limited by said content distribution control server according to said circuit-type information such that said content transmission device performs the parallel transmission of said content to said content distribution server via said circuit; and

number-of-streams automatic setting means for automatically limiting and setting said number of streams to be used to perform the parallel transmission to said content distribution control server, based on said setting information.

32. The content transmission device according to claim 31, wherein:

said receiving means receives said setting information including the maximum band of said circuit and the transmission rate of each stream to be used to transmit said content; and

said number-of-streams automatic setting means automatically sets based on said setting information the transmission rate of said each stream to be used to perform the parallel transmission of said content to said content distribution control server.

33. The content transmission device according to claim 32, wherein:

said receiving means receives said setting information including a recommended value of the transmission rate of said each stream; and

said number-of-streams automatic setting means automatically sets the transmission rate of said each stream corresponding to said recommended value, based on said setting information.

34. The content transmission device according to claim 31, wherein:

said receiving means automatically takes in said setting information from said content distribution control server; and

said number-of-streams automatic setting means displays a GUI screen where the transmission rate of said each stream of said number of streams is selectable, based on said setting information.

35. The content transmission device according to claim 31, wherein:

said receiving means receives a content distribution control server address, the band of said content distribution control server and the telephone number of said circuit, from said content distribution control server as said setting information minimum essential; and

said number-of-streams automatic setting means displays a GUI screen showing items required to be set by a user, based on said setting information.

37. The content transmission method according to claim 36, wherein:

said receiving step is to receive said setting information including the maximum band of said circuit and the transmission rate of each stream to be used to transmit said content; and

said number-of-streams automatic setting step is to automatically set based on said setting information the transmission rate of said each stream to be used to perform the parallel transmission of said content to said content distribution control server.

38. The content transmission method according to claim 37, wherein:

said receiving step is to receive said setting information including a recommended value of the transmission rate of said each stream; and

said number-of-streams automatic setting step is to automatically set the transmission rate of said each stream corresponding to said recommended value based on said setting information.

39. The content transmission method according to claim 36, wherein:

said receiving step is to automatically take in said setting information from said content distribution control server; and

said number-of-streams automatic setting step is to display a GUI screen where the transmission rate of said each stream of said number of streams is selectable, based on said setting information.

40. The content transmission method according to claim 36, wherein:

said receiving step is to receive a content distribution control server address, the band of said content distribution control server and the telephone number of said circuit from said content distribution control server as said setting information minimum essential; and

said number-of-streams automatic setting step is to display a GUI screen showing items required to be set by a user, based on said setting information.

36. A content transmission method for transmitting content to a content distribution control server connected via a network, in order to distribute said content to clients via said content distribution control server, said content transmission method comprising:

a transmitting step of transmitting the type of circuit which can connect said content transmission device and said network, as circuit-type information to said content distribution control server;

a receiving step of receiving the number of streams as setting information from said content distribution control server, said number of streams limited according to said circuit-type information by said content distribution control server such that said content transmission device performs the parallel transmission of said content to said content distribution control server via said circuit; and

a number-of-streams automatic setting step of automatically limiting and setting said number of streams based on said setting information, said number of streams being used to perform the parallel transmission to said content distribution control server.

41. A content transmission control program for making a computer execute:

a transmitting step of transmitting the type of circuit connectable to a network, as circuit-type information to a content distribution control server;

a receiving step of receiving the number of streams from said content distribution control server, said number of streams limited according to said circuit-type information by said content distribution control server to perform the parallel transmission of said content to said content distribution control server via said circuit; and

a number-of-streams automatic setting step of automatically limiting and setting said number of streams to be used to perform the parallel transmission to said content distribution control server, based on said setting information.

42. The content transmission control program according to claim 41, wherein:

said receiving step is to receive said setting information including the maximum band of said circuit and the transmission rate of each stream to be used to transmit said content; and

said number-of-streams automatic setting step is to automatically set the transmission rate of said each stream to be used to perform the parallel transmission of said content to said content distribution control server, based on said setting information.

43. The content transmission control program according to claim 42, wherein:

said receiving step is to receive said setting information including a recommended value of the transmission rate of said each stream; and

said number-of-streams automatic setting step is to automatically set the transmission rate of said each stream corresponding to said recommended value based on said setting information.

44. The content transmission control program according to claim 41, wherein:

said receiving step is to automatically take in said setting information from said content distribution control server; and

said number-of-streams automatic setting step is to display a GUI screen where the transmission rate of said each stream of said number of streams is selectable, based on said setting information.

45. The content transmission control program according to claim 41, wherein:

said receiving step is to receive a content distribution control server address, the band of said content distribution control server and the telephone number of said circuit from said content distribution control server as said setting information minimum essential; and

said number-of-streams automatic setting step is to display a GUI screen showing items required to be set by a user, based on said setting information.

47. The content transmission control program storage medium according to claim 46, wherein:

said receiving step is to receive said setting information including the maximum band of said circuit and the transmission rate of each stream to be used to transmit said content; and

said number-of-streams automatic setting step is to automatically set the transmission rate of said each stream to be used to perform the parallel transmission of said content to said content distribution control server, based on said setting information.

48. The content transmission control program storage medium according to claim 47, wherein:

said receiving step is to receive said setting information including a recommended band of the transmission rate of said each stream; and

said number-of-streams automatic setting step is to automatically set the transmission rate of said each stream corresponding to said recommended value, based on said setting information.

49. The content transmission control program storage medium according to claim 46, wherein:

said receiving step is to automatically take in said setting information from said content distribution control server; and

said number-of-streams automatic setting step is to display a GUI screen where the transmission rate of said each stream of said number of streams is selectable, based on said setting information.

50. The content transmission control program storage medium according to claim 46, wherein:

said receiving step is to receive a content distribution control server address, the band of said content distribution control server and the telephone number of said circuit from said content distribution control server, as said setting information minimum essential; and

said number-of-streams automatic setting step is to display a GUI screen showing items required to be set by a user, based on said setting information.

46. A content transmission control program storage medium for making an information processing device execute a content transmission control program comprising:

a transmitting step of transmitting the type of circuit connectable to a network, to a content distribution control server as circuit-type information;

a receiving step of receiving the number of streams from said content distribution control server, said number of streams limited according to said circuit-type information by said content distribution control server to perform the parallel transmission of said content to said content distribution control server via said circuit; and

a number-of-streams automatic setting step of automatically limiting and setting said number of streams to be used to perform the parallel transmission to said content distribution control server, based on said setting information.