Virtual content distribution system

• US 20030056222A1
• Filed: 09/03/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Munetsugu, Toshihiko, Tsusaka, Yuko, Tanikawa, Kentaro, Iwata, Yoshiaki, Kajimoto, Kazuo, Nishitani, Kazuhiro, Tokuda, Hirokazu
• Granted Patent: US 7,526,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/87
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A content distribution system composed of a server device for selecting and distributing video scenes according to a user request, and a terminal device for receiving the video scenes from the server device. The server device stores a plurality of content files. Each content file is composed of a plurality of pieces of scene data together with scene additional information regarding playback of each piece of scene data. The server device selects pieces of scene data matching the user request, reads scene additional information from each content file containing the selected pieces of scene data, generates, based on the read scene additional information, selected-scene additional information, and transmits the selected pieces of scene data in association with the generated selected-scene additional information. The terminal device receives and stores the selected pieces of scene data and the selected-scene additional information.

Claims

1. A content distribution system comprising a server device for selecting and distributing video scenes according to a user request, and a terminal device for receiving the video scenes from the server device, wherein

the server device includes:

a storing unit operable to store a plurality of content files, each content file containing a plurality of pieces of scene data together with scene additional information regarding playback of the scene data contained in the content file;

a selecting unit operable to select, from the scene data contained in the content files, pieces matching the user request;

a generating unit operable to read the scene additional information from content files that contain the selected scene data, and generating, based on the read scene additional information, selected-scene additional information; and

a transmitting unit operable to transmit to the terminal device the selected scene data in association with the generated selected-scene additional information, and

the terminal device receives and stores the selected pieces of scene data and the selected-scene additional information.

2. A server device for selecting and transmitting video scenes according to a user request received from a terminal device,

the server device comprising:

a storing unit operable to store a plurality of content files, each content file containing a plurality of pieces of scene data together with scene additional information regarding playback of the scene data contained in the content file, and each piece of scene data including a plurality of pieces of frame data;

a selecting unit operable to select, from the scene data contained in the content files, pieces matching the user request;

a generating unit operable to read the scene additional information from content files that contain the selected scene data, and generating, based on the read scene additional information, selected-scene additional information; and

a transmitting unit operable to transmit to the terminal device the selected scene data in association with the generated selected-scene additional information.

3. The server device according to claim 2, wherein

the storing unit stores, as the scene additional information, index information showing, for each piece of frame data contained in the scene data, a corresponding frame number and a corresponding location within a respective content file, and

the generating unit generates, as the selected-scene additional information, selected-scene index information showing frame numbers and locations of each piece of frame data contained in the selected scene data, the frame numbers being serially assigned to each piece of frame data and the locations being where each piece of frame data is within the plurality of selected pieces of scene data.

4. The server device according to claim 2, wherein

each piece of scene data stored in the storing unit is identified by a scene ID, and

the selecting unit includes:

a database sub-unit operable to store, for each piece of scene data stored in the storing unit, a corresponding scene ID in association with a corresponding piece of scene-related information;

a request receiving sub-unit operable to receive from the terminal device, as the request, a selection condition used for the scene data selection; and

a scene selecting sub-unit operable to extract from the scene IDs stored in the database sub-unit, scene IDs that correspond to each piece of scene-related information matching the selection condition, and obtains from the storing unit pieces of scene data identified by the extracted scene IDs.

5. The server device according to claim 4, wherein

the scene selecting sub-unit serially assigns to the extracted scene IDs playback numbers showing playback order, generates a structure table composed of the playback numbers and the extracted scene IDs, and the obtaining of the scene data is performed with reference to the generated structure table.

6. The server device according to claim 2, wherein

the storing unit stores, as the scene additional information, index information and timing information both for each piece of frame data contained in the scene data, the index information showing a corresponding frame number and a corresponding location within a respective content file, and the timing information showing a corresponding frame number and a corresponding transmitting timing,

the generating unit generates, as the selected-scene additional information, selected-scene index information and selected-scene timing information,

the selected-scene index information showing frame numbers serially assigned to each piece of frame data within the selected pieces of scene data, and locations where each piece of frame data is within the selected pieces of scene data, and

the selected-scene timing information showing the frame numbers, and transmitting timings at which each frame data within the selected pieces of scene data is to be transmitted, and

the transmitting unit transmits to the terminal device the selected pieces of scene data in association with the selected-scene index information, the transmission of the selected pieces of scene data is sequentially performed according to the selected-scene timing information.

7. A server device controlling method for use in a server device that selects and transmits video scenes according to a user request received from a terminal device,

the server device storing a plurality of content files, each content file containing a plurality of pieces of scene data together with scene additional information regarding playback of the scene data contained in the content file, and

the server device controlling method comprising:

a selecting step of selecting, from the scene data contained in the content files, pieces matching the user request;

a generating step of reading the scene additional information from content files that contain the selected scene data, and generating, based on the read scene additional information, selected-scene additional information; and

a transmitting step of transmitting to the terminal device the selected scene data in association with the generated selected-scene additional information.

8. A server device controlling program for use in a server device that selects and transmits video scenes according to a user request received from a terminal device,

the server device storing a plurality of content files, each content file containing a plurality of pieces of scene data together with scene additional information regarding playback of the scene data contained in the content file, and

the server device controlling program comprising:

a selecting step of selecting, from the scene data contained in the content files, pieces matching the user request;

a generating step of reading the scene additional information from content files that contain the selected scene data, and generating, based on the read scene additional information, selected-scene additional information; and

a transmitting step of transmitting to the terminal device the selected scene data in association with the generated selected-scene additional information.

9. A computer-readable recording medium storing a server device controlling program for use in a server device that selects and transmits video scenes according to a user request received from a terminal device,

the server device storing a plurality of content files, each content file containing a plurality of pieces of scene data together with scene additional information regarding playback of the scene data contained in the content file,

the server device controlling program comprising:

a selecting step of selecting, from the scene data contained in the content files, pieces matching the user request;

a generating step of reading the scene additional information from content files that contain the selected scene data, and generating, based on the read scene additional information, selected-scene additional information; and

a transmitting step of transmitting to the terminal device the selected scene data in association with the generated selected-scene additional information.

10. A virtual content output device for outputting one virtual content file according to a content-structure table, the content structure table specifying a playback order of a plurality of content files, comprising:

a content storing unit operable to store the plurality of content files, each content file containing (i) header information regarding the content file, (ii) a plurality of pieces of scene data each of which includes a plurality of pieces of content data, and (iii) scene additional information regarding playback of the scene data contained in the content file;

a content-structure table receiving unit operable to receive the content-structure table;

a content-structure table storing unit operable to store the content-structure table received by the content-structure table receiving unit;

a content data processing unit operable to (i) instruct a content data reading unit to read content data according to the content-structure table stored in the content-structure table storing unit, and (ii) process the read content data;

the content data reading unit operable to read, from the content storing unit, the content data specified in the instruction given by the content data processing unit, and to output the read contend data to the content data processing unit;

a virtual content header information generating unit operable to (i) instruct a header information reading unit to read header information according to the content-structure table stored in the content-structure table storing unit, and (ii) generate virtual content header information using the read header information;

the header information reading unit operable to read, from the content storing unit, the header information specified in the instruction given by the virtual content header information generating unit, and to output the read header information to the virtual content header information generating unit; and

a virtual content output unit operable to output, as data and information that is associated with each other, the content data processed by the virtual content data processing unit, and the virtual content header information generated by the virtual content header information generating unit.

11. A virtual content output device for outputting one virtual content file according to a content-structure table, the content structure table specifying a playback order of a plurality of content files, comprising:

a content storing unit operable to store the plurality of content files, each content file containing (i) header information regarding the content file, (ii) a plurality of pieces of scene data each of which includes a plurality of pieces of content data, and (iii) scene additional information regarding playback of the scene data contained in the content file;

a content-structure table receiving unit operable to receive the content-structure table;

a content-structure table storing unit operable to store the content-structure table received by the content-structure table receiving unit;

a content data processing unit operable to (i) instruct a content data reading unit to read content data according to the content-structure table stored in the content-structure table storing unit, and (ii) process the read content data;

the content data reading unit operable to read, from the content storing unit, the content data specified in the instruction given by the content data processing unit, and to output the read contend data to the content data processing unit;

a virtual content header information generating unit operable to (i) instruct a header information reading unit to read header information according to the content-structure table stored in the content-structure table storing unit, and (ii) generate virtual content header information using the read header information;

the header information reading unit operable to read, from the content storing unit, the header information specified in the instruction given by the virtual content header information generating unit, and to output the read header information to the virtual content header information generating unit;

a virtual content additional information generating unit operable to (i) instruct an additional information reading unit to read additional information according to the content-structure table stored in the content-structure table storing unit, and (ii) generate virtual content additional information using the read additional information;

the additional information reading unit operable to read, from the content storing unit, the additional information specified in the instruction given by the virtual content additional information generating unit, and to output the read additional information to the virtual content additional information generating unit; and

a virtual content output unit operable to output, as data and information that is associated with each other, the content data processed by the virtual content data processing unit, the virtual content header information generated by the virtual content header information generating unit, and the virtual content additional information generated by the virtual content additional information generating unit.