Data sending device and data sending method

• US 20030014475A1
• Filed: 02/13/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Komori, Yoko
• Application Number:
  US09/958,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20030014475A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A data transmission apparatus is provided in which a master station (1) for creating playlists indicative of a transmission schedule of materials and slave stations (2-1) to (2-n) for transmitting materials based upon the playlists are connected together via a network (3), the master station (1) includes an attribute imparting means (11) for imparting attributes for instructing a transmission standby to the created playlists and a transfer means (11) for transferring the created playlists and information on attributes imparted to the playlists through the network (3) to the slave stations (2-1) to (2-n) and the slave stations (2-1) to (2-n) include a time setting means (31) for setting a time and a transmission standby means (31) for judging based upon the information on the attributes whether or not the attribute is imparted to the playlist transferred from the master station (1) at this set time and executes a transmission standby based upon the playlist to which this attribute is imparted. The slave station side of the CATV becomes able to execute a transmission standby based upon the playlists distributed from the master station without an operation of a staff member in the broadcasting station.

Claims

1. A data transmission apparatus in which a data creating section for creating data to be transmitted and a data transmission section for transmitting said data are connected via a network, being characterized in that

said data creating section comprises:

a recording and reproducing means for recording created data;

a playlist creating means for creating playlists showing a transmission schedule of data recorded on said recording and reproducing means;

a selecting means for selecting a playlist, transferred to said data transmission section, from the playlists created by said playlist creating means;

an instructing means for instructing a start of a transfer of playlists; and

a transfer means for reproducing said data from said recording and reproducing means based upon an instruction from said instructing means in accordance with the playlist selected by said selecting means and transferring said playlist and said data through a network to said data transmission section.

2. A data transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of data transmission sections are connected to said data creating section, being characterized in that

said selecting means selects playlists, transferred to said data transmission section, with respect to each of said plurality of data transmission sections and

said transfer means reproduces said data from said recording and reproducing means in accordance with the playlist selected by said selecting means and transfers said playlist and said data to each of said plurality of data transmission sections.

3. A data transmission apparatus according to claim 1, being characterized in that

said recording and reproducing means uses a nonlinear-accessible recording medium and said data transmission section includes recording and reproducing means using a nonlinear-accessible recording medium on which data transferred from said data creating section is recorded.

4. A data transmission apparatus according to claim 1, being characterized in that

said data creating section further includes a compression means for compressing data recorded on said recording and reproducing means and said data transmission section includes an expansion means for expanding data transferred from said data creating section.

5. A data transmission apparatus according to claim 1, being characterized in that

said data creating section further includes an edit information creating means for creating edit information for defining edit points obtained after data created by designating edit points has been edited and said transfer means transfers said edit information with respect to data on the playlist selected by said selecting means.

6. A data transmission method in which a data creating section for creating data to be transmitted and a data transmitting section for transmitting said created data are connected through a network, being characterized by comprising the steps of:

a first step of connecting a data creating section for creating data to be transmitted and a data transmission section for transmitting said data by a network and recording data thus created in said data creating section;

a second step of creating playlists for indicating a transmission schedule of data recorded at said first step by said data creating section;

a third step of selecting a playlist transferred to said data transmission section from the playlists created at said second step by said data creating section; and

a fourth step of reproducing the data recorded at said first step in accordance with the playlist selected at said third step and transferring said playlist and said data through said network to said data transmission section by said data creating section.

7. A data transmission method according to claim 6, in which said plurality of data transmission sections are connected to said data creating section, being characterized in that

said third step selects a playlist to be transferred to said data transmission section with respect to each of a plurality of said data transmission sections and said fourth step reproduces data recorded at said first step in accordance with the playlist selected at said third step with respect to each of said plurality of data transmission sections and transfers said playlists and said data.

8. A data transmission method according to claim 6, being characterized in that

said first step records data on a recording and reproducing means using a nonlinear-accessible recording medium and further includes a step of recording data transferred from the data creating section at said fourth step on a recording and reproducing means using a nonlinear-accessible recording medium by said data transmission section.

9. A data transmission method according to claim 6, being characterized by further comprising a step of compressing data recorded at said first step by said data creating section and

a step of expanding data transferred from said data creating section by said data transmission section.

10. A data transmission method according to claim 6, being characterized by further comprising a step of creating edit information for defining edit points obtained after data created by designating edit points has been edited by said data creating section and

said fourth step transfers said edit information with respect to data on the playlist selected at said third step.

11. A data transmission apparatus in which a playlist creating section for creating playlists for indicating a transmission schedule of data and a data transmission section for transmitting data based upon said playlists are connected together via a network, being characterized in that

said playlist creating section comprises:

an attribute imparting means for imparting attributes for instructing a transmission standby to playlists; and

a transfer means for transferring created playlists and information on said attributes imparted to said playlists and

said data transmission section comprises;

a time setting means for setting a time at which a transmission standby is effected; and

a transmission standby means for judging based upon said attribute information whether or not said attribute is imparted to the playlist transferred from said playlist creating section at a time set by said time setting means.

12. A data transmission apparatus according to claim 11, being characterized in that said transmission standby means judges every day whether or not a broadcasting start scheduled playlist is transferred from said playlist creating section within 24 hours from a time set by said time setting means, judges based upon information on said attribute whether or not said attribute is imparted to the playlist transferred from said playlist creating section and executes a transmission standby based upon the playlist whose broadcasting is to be started within 24 hours and to which said attribute is imparted.

13. A data transmission apparatus according to claim 11, being characterized by further comprising:

a transmission trigger setting means for setting a transmission trigger with respect to data added to the playlists and wherein said transfer means transfers information on the transmission trigger set by said transmission trigger setting means together with the playlists and

said transmission standby means further includes

a transmission starting means for judging the arrival of a transmission trigger based upon information on said transmission trigger with respect to data in which the transmission standby is executed by said transmission standby means and starts the transmission of said data.

14. A data transmission apparatus according to claim 11, being characterized in that

said playlist creating section further includes

a recording and reproducing means on which data is recorded,

a selecting means for selecting a playlist to be transferred to said data transmission section from among created playlists and

an instructing means for instructing the start of the transfer of the playlist,

said transfer means reproduces said data from said recording and reproducing means in accordance with the playlist selected by said selecting means based upon the instruction from said instructing means and transfers said playlist and said data through a network and

said data transmission section further includes

a recording and reproducing means for recording data transferred from said playlist creating section.

15. A data transmission apparatus according to claim 14, being characterized in that said recording and reproducing means in said playlist creating section and said recording and reproducing means in said data transmission section use nonlinear-accessible recording mediums, respectively.

17. A transmission standby method according to claim 16, being characterized in that said transmission standby means judges every day whether or not there exists a playlist whose broadcasting is to be started within 24 hours from the time set by said time setting means, judges whether or not said attribute is imparted to the playlist and executes a transmission standby based upon the playlist whose broadcasting is to be started within 24 hours and to which said attribute is imparted.

18. A transmission standby method according to claim 16, being characterized by further comprising:

a step of setting a transmission trigger with respect to data added to the playlist in said playlist creating section;

a step of transferring information on said transmission trigger together with the playlist at said second step; and

a step of judging based upon information on said transmission trigger the arrival of a transmission trigger with respect to data on which a transmission standby is effected and starting the transmission of said data in said data transmission section.

19. A transmission standby method according to claim 16, being characterized by further comprising the steps of:

a step of recording data in said playlist creating section;

a step of selecting a playlist transferred to said data transmission section from among the created playlists in said playlist creating section;

a step of reproducing said recorded data in accordance with said selected playlist and transferring said playlist and said data through said network to said data transmission section by said playlist creating section; and

a step of recording data transferred from said playlist creating section in said data transmission section.

20. A transmission standby method according to claim 19, being characterized in that said playlist creating section and said data transmission section respectively record data on recording and reproducing means using nonlinear-accessible recording mediums.

16. In a transmission standby method for a data transmission apparatus in which a playlist creating section for indicating a transmission schedule of data and a data transmission section for transmitting data based upon said playlist are connected together via a network and in which

said data transmission section includes

a time setting means for setting a time at which a transmission standby is executed and

a transmission standby means for judging whether or not an attribute for instructing a transmission standby is imparted to a playlist at a time set by said time setting means,

said transmission standby method being characterized by comprising the steps of:

a first step of imparting said attribute to the playlist by said playlist creating section;

a second step of transferring the created playlist and information on said attribute imparted to said playlist at said first step by said playlist creating section; and

a third step of setting a time for a transmission standby by said time setting means in said data transmission section.

21. A transmission standby apparatus being characterized by comprising:

a playlist creating means for creating playlists indicative of a transmission schedule of data;

an attribute imparting means for imparting an attribute for instructing a transmission standby to said playlists;

a time setting means for setting a time at which a transmission standby is executed; and

a transmission standby means for judging whether or not said attribute is imparted to the playlist created by said playlist creating means at a time set by said time setting means and executing a transmission standby based upon the playlist to which said attribute is imparted.

22. A transmission standby apparatus according to claim 21, being characterized in that said transmission standby means judges every day whether or not a playlist whose broadcasting is to be started within 24 hours from a time set by said time setting means is created by said playlist creating means, judges whether or not said attribute is imparted to the playlist created by said playlist creating means and executes a transmission standby based upon a playlist whose broadcasting is to be started within 24 hours and to which said attribute is imparted.

24. A transmission start apparatus according to claim 23, being characterized in that said transmission standby means judges every day whether or not a playlist whose broadcasting is to be started within 24 hours from a time set by said time setting means is created by said playlist creating means, judges whether or not said attribute is imparted to the playlist created by said playlist creating means and executes a transmission standby based upon the playlist whose broadcasting is to be started within 24 hours and to which said attribute is imparted.

25. A transmission start apparatus according to claim 24, being characterized by further comprising:

a recording and reproducing means using a nonlinear-accessible recording medium and wherein

said playlist creating means creates said playlist with respect to data recorded on said recording and reproducing means and

said transmission starting means reproduces data whose transmission is started from said recording and reproducing means.

27. A transmission standby method according to claim 26, being characterized in that said transmission standby means judges every day whether or not there exists a playlist whose broadcasting is to be started within 24 hours from a time set by said time setting means, judges whether or not an attribute for instructing a transmission standby is imparted to the playlist and executes a transmission standby based upon the playlist whose broadcasting is to be started within 24 hours and to which said attribute is imparted.

29. A transmission start method according to claim 28, being characterized in that said transmission standby means judges every day whether or not there exists a playlist whose broadcasting is to be started within 24 hours from a time set by said time setting means, judges whether or not an attribute for instructing a transmission standby is imparted to a playlist and executes the transmission standby based upon the playlist whose broadcasting is to be started within 24 hours and to which said attribute is imparted.

30. A transmission start method according to claim 29, wherein said playlist creating means creates said playlist with respect to data recorded on a recording and reproducing means using a nonlinear-accessible recording medium and said fourth step reproduces transmission starting data from said recording and reproducing means.

23. A transmission start apparatus being characterized by comprising:

a playlist creating means for creating a playlist indicative of a transmission schedule of data;

an attribute imparting means for imparting an attribute for instructing a transmission standby to said playlist;

a transmission trigger setting means for setting a transmission trigger with respect to data added to said playlist;

a time setting means for setting a time at which a transmission standby is executed;

a transmission standby means for judging whether or not said attribute is imparted to the playlist created by said playlist creating means at a time set by said time setting means and executing a transmission standby based upon the playlist to which said attribute is imparted; and

a transmission starting means for judging the arrival of the transmission trigger set by said transmission trigger setting means with respect to data in which a transmission standby is executed by said transmission standby means and starting the transmission of said data.

26. In a transmission standby method for a data transmission system comprising:

a playlist creating means for creating playlists indicative of a transmission schedule of data;

a time setting means for setting a time at which a transmission standby is executed;

a transmission standby means for judging whether or not an attribute for instructing a transmission standby is imparted to the playlist created by said playlist creating means at a time set by said time setting means and executing a transmission standby based upon the playlist to which said attribute is imparted; and

a transmission means for transmitting data,

said transmission standby method being characterized by comprising the steps of;

a first step of imparting said attribute to the playlist created by said playlist creating means; and

a second step of setting a time at which the transmission standby is executed by said time setting means.

28. In a transmission start method for a data transmission system which is comprised of:

a playlist creating means for creating a playlist indicative of a transmission schedule of data;

a time setting means for setting a time at which a transmission standby is executed;

a transmission standby means for judging whether or not an attribute for instructing a transmission standby is imparted to a playlist created by said playlist creating means at a time set by said time setting means and executing a transmission standby based upon the playlist to which said attribute is imparted; and

a transmission means for transmitting data,

said transmission start method being characterized by comprising the steps of;

a first step of imparting said attribute to a playlist;

a second step of setting a transmission trigger with respect to data added to said playlist;

a third step of setting a time at which a transmission standby is executed by said time setting means; and

a fourth step of judging based upon information on said transmission trigger whether or not the transmission trigger arrives with respect to data in which a transmission standby is executed by said transmission standby means and starting the transmission of said data.