Reproducing apparatus and method, information processing apparatus and method, recording medium, and program

• US 20030093422A1
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Noriyuki, Ohmura, Kazunori
• Granted Patent: US 7,454,401 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2529 Mini-discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/916 Audio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The present invention is intended to automatically construct a database of contents data which are distributed over plural reproducing apparatuses and search this database on the basis of user'"'"'s fragmentary memory. A contents sharing management system practiced as one embodiment of the invention comprises an episode server installed at user'"'"'s home and plural reproducing apparatuses including a component stereo set, portable player, portable wireless terminal, and MD player, which are interconnected in a wireless manner based on wireless communication technologies such as Bluetooth. The episode server wirelessly connects to the portable player for example to get the episode information stored therein and organizes the retrieved episode information into a database. The episode server also searches the database upon request from the portable player to identify a source apparatus in which desired contents data are stored and supplies the retrieved contents data to the requesting portable player.

Claims

1. A reproducing apparatus comprising:

reproducing means for reproducing contents data;

gathering means for gathering episode information about the reproduction of said contents data by said reproducing means; and

storage means for storing said episode information in relationship with said contents data.

2. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving means for retrieving said contents data which are to be reproduced by said reproducing means from an electronic apparatus;

wherein said gathering means gathers said episode information from said electronic apparatus which retrieved said contents data.

3. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said gathering means gathers said episode information which includes information about an owner or user of said electronic apparatus.

4. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said information about an owner or user of said electronic apparatus is registered in said electronic apparatus in advance.

5. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said information about an owner or user of said electronic apparatus is entered or selected when using said contents data.

6. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gathering means gathers, as said episode information, at least one of an identifier and a name for identifying said contents data, a date and time, a place, reproducing apparatus identifying information, source apparatus identifying information, and accompanying person'"'"'s name at the time of the reproduction of said contents data.

7. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gathering means gathers said episode information by wireless communication.

8. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gathering means gathers episode information gathered by an other electronic apparatus.

9. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

setting means for setting a search condition necessary for searching for said contents data; and

search means for, by referencing said episode information stored in said storage means, searching for said contents data which matches said search condition set by said setting means.

10. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said search means causes an other electronic apparatus to search for said contents data on the basis of said search condition.

11. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

retrieving means for retrieving said contents data which are to be reproduced by said reproducing means from an electronic apparatus;

wherein said retrieving means retrieves said contents data searched for by said search means.

12. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

presenting means for presenting, to a user, said episode information about said contents data being reproduced.

13. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said reproducing apparatus and said electronic apparatus are portable.

14. A reproducing method comprising the steps of:

reproducing contents data;

gathering episode information about the reproduction of said contents data in the reproducing step; and

storing said episode information in relationship with said contents data.

15. The reproducing method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of:

retrieving said contents data which are to be reproduced in the reproducing step from an electronic apparatus;

wherein said episode information is gathered from said electronic apparatus which retrieved said contents data in the gathering step.

16. The reproducing method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

setting a search condition necessary for searching for said contents data; and

searching for said contents data which matches said search condition set in the setting step by referencing said episode information stored in the storage step.

17. The reproducing method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of:

retrieving said contents data which are to be reproduced in the reproducing step from an electronic apparatus;

wherein said contents data searched for in the search step is retrieved in the retrieving step.

18. The reproducing method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of:

presenting, to a user, said episode information about said contents data being reproduced.

19. A recording medium recording a computer-readable program for a reproducing apparatus, said program comprising the steps of:

reproducing contents data;

gathering episode information about the reproduction of said contents data in the reproducing step; and

storing said episode information in relationship with said contents data.

20. A program for causing a computer to execute the steps of:

reproducing contents data;

gathering episode information about the reproduction of said contents data in the reproducing step; and

storing said episode information in relationship with said contents data.

21. An information processing apparatus for accumulating episode information received from a reproducing apparatus, comprising:

communication means for communicating with said reproducing apparatus;

accumulating means for accumulating said episode information received from said reproducing apparatus connected by said communication means;

search means for searching, by referencing said episode information accumulated by said accumulating means, for said contents data which match a search condition received from said reproducing apparatus connected by said communication means; and

supplying means for supplying said contents data searched by said search means to said reproducing apparatus.

22. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said communication means communicates with said reproducing apparatus in a wireless connection manner.

23. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said supplying means supplies said contents data to said reproducing apparatus by controlling a source apparatus of said contents data.

24. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said supplying means retrieves said contents data to supply the same to said reproducing apparatus via a network.

25. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said search means also searches for said episode information corresponding to said contents data being reproduced in said reproducing apparatus connected by said communication means and said supplying means also supplies said episode information searched by said search means to said reproducing apparatus.

26. An information processing method for an information processing apparatus for accumulating episode information received from a reproducing apparatus, comprising the steps of:

communicating with said reproducing apparatus;

accumulating said episode information received from said reproducing apparatus connected in the communication step;

searching, by referencing said episode information accumulated in the accumulating step, for said contents data which match a search condition received from said reproducing apparatus connected in the communication step; and

supplying said contents data searched in the search step to said reproducing apparatus.

27. A recording medium recording a computer-readable program for accumulating episode information received from a reproducing apparatus, comprising the steps of:

communicating with said reproducing apparatus;

accumulating said episode information received from said reproducing apparatus connected in the communication step;

searching, by referencing said episode information accumulated in the accumulating step, for said contents data which match a search condition received from said reproducing apparatus connected in the communication step; and

supplying said contents data searched in the search step to said reproducing apparatus.

28. A program for causing a computer for accumulating episode information received from a reproducing apparatus to execute the steps of:

communicating with said reproducing apparatus;

accumulating said episode information received from said reproducing apparatus connected in the communication step;

searching, by referencing said episode information accumulated in the accumulating step, for said contents data which match a search condition received from said reproducing apparatus connected in the communication step; and

supplying said contents data searched in the search step to said reproducing apparatus.