Data stream-distribution system and method therefor

• US 20030188005A1
• Filed: 03/05/2003
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoneda, Michiaki, Yoritate, Masataka
• Granted Patent: US 7,330,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A mutual recognition process is performed in step S1. When it is determined in step S2 that a request for sending a list of musical pieces has been received, the list of musical pieces is sent in step S3. When a request for sending audio data has been received in step S4, a transfer-rate measurement process is executed in step S5. When it is determined according to the transfer rate in step S6 that the audio can be transmitted, the corresponding compressed audio data is extracted in step S7, the compressed audio data is decoded to generate linear PCM data suited to the transfer rate in step S8, and transmitted in step S9. When the audio data cannot be transmitted, an error message is transmitted in step S10. The present invention can be applied, for example, to a server for distributing audio data and an audio player terminal for reproducing the distributed audio data.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for stream-distributing data to an information processing terminal, comprising:

determination means for determining whether data to be distributed can be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal; and

transmission means for stream-distributing the data to be distributed, to the information processing terminal when the determination means determines that the data to be distributed can be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising data decompression means for reading compressed data corresponding to the data to be distributed, and for decompressing the compressed data to generate the data to be distributed,

wherein the data decompressed by the data decompression means is stream-distributed by the transmission means.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination means detects a data transfer rate with the information processing terminal and determines according to the result of detection whether the data to be distributed can be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising data conversion means for converting the data to be distributed, according to the transfer rate detected by the determination means,

wherein data generated by the data conversion means is stream-distributed by the transmission means.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 3, where the determination means comprises:

data receiving means for receiving a predetermined amount of data from the information processing terminal;

measurement means for measuring the transfer time of the predetermined amount of data received by the data receiving means; and

calculation means for calculating the transfer rate according to the predetermined amount of data and the transfer time measured by the measurement means.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising data receiving means for receiving the transfer rate from the information processing terminal,

wherein the determination means determines whether the data to be distributed can be stream-transmitted to the information processing terminal, according to the transfer rate received by the data receiving means after the transmission means sends the predetermined amount of data to the information processing terminal.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination means determines whether the information processing terminal and the information processing apparatus are connected to the same network, and determines according to the result of determination whether the data to be distributed can be stream-transmitted to the information processing terminal.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the determination means compares addresses assigned by a predetermined communication protocol to the information processing apparatus and to the information processing terminal to determine whether the information processing terminal and the information processing apparatus are connected to the same network.

9. An information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the determination means determines that the information processing terminal and the information processing apparatus are connected to the same network, when the addresses of the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal have the same network section.

10. An information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the determination means determines that the information processing terminal and the information processing apparatus are connected to the same network, when the addresses of the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal fall in the same private-address range.

11. An information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the determination means determines that the information processing terminal and the information processing apparatus are connected to the same network, when the addresses of the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal fall in the same link-local-address range.

12. An information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the determination means determines that the information processing terminal and the information processing apparatus are connected to the same network, when the addresses of the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal fall in the same site-local-address range.

13. An information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the determination means determines that the information processing terminal and the information processing apparatus are connected to the same network, when it is determined that the information processing terminal is managed by a router which manages the information processing apparatus.

14. An information processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising data receiving means for receiving, from the information processing terminal, information related to a network to which the information processing terminal is connected,

wherein the determination means determines according to the information received by the data receiving means whether the information processing terminal and the information processing apparatus are connected to the same network.

15. An information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the network is formed of a plurality of network segments.

16. An information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the network is formed of only one network segment.

17. An information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the data conversion means converts the data to be distributed to data having a lower data rate than the transfer rate with the information processing terminal, detected by the determination means.

18. An information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the data conversion means reduces at least one of the number of quantization bits and the sampling frequency of the data to be distributed, to reduce the data rate of data obtained by the conversion.

19. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising message transmission means for transmitting to the information processing terminal a message indicating that the data to be distributed cannot be transmitted, when the determination means determines that the data to be distributed cannot be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal.

20. An information processing method for stream-distributing data to an information processing terminal, comprising the steps of:

determining whether data to be distributed can be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal; and

stream-distributing the data to be distributed, to the information processing terminal when it is determined that the data to be distributed can be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal.

21. An information processing method according to claim 20, further comprising a step of reading compressed data corresponding to the data to be distributed, and of decompressing the compressed data to generate the data to be distributed,

wherein the generated data is stream-distributed to the information processing terminal.

22. A recording medium readable by an information processing apparatus for stream-distributing data to an information processing terminal and having stored thereon a program for the information processing apparatus, the program comprising the steps of:

determining whether data to be distributed can be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal; and

stream-distributing the data to be distributed to the information processing terminal when it is determined that the data to be distributed can be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal.

23. A recording medium according to claim 22, wherein the program further comprises a step of reading compressed data corresponding to the data to be distributed, and of decompressing the compressed data to generate the data to be distributed, and

the generated data is stream-distributed to the information processing terminal.

24. A program executable by a computer for controlling an information processing apparatus which stream-distributes data to an information processing terminal, comprising the steps of:

determining whether data to be distributed can be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal; and

stream-distributing the data to be distributed, to the information processing terminal when it is determined that the data to be distributed can be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal.

25. A program according to claim 24, further comprising a step of reading compressed data corresponding to the data to be distributed, and of decompressing the compressed data to generate the data to be distributed,

wherein the generated data is stream-distributed to the information processing terminal.

26. An information processing terminal for receiving and reproducing data stream-distributed by an information processing apparatus, comprising:

generation means for generating information used by the information processing apparatus to determine whether data to be distributed can be stream-distributed;

transmission means for transmitting the information generated by the generation means to the information processing apparatus;

receiving means for receiving not-compressed data stream-distributed by the information processing apparatus; and

reproduction means for reproducing the data received by the receiving means.

27. An information processing terminal according to claim 26, further comprising:

second receiving means for receiving a message indicating that the data cannot be transmitted, from the information processing apparatus; and

display means for displaying the message received by the second receiving means.

28. An information processing terminal according to claim 26, wherein the generation means generates as the information, a predetermined amount of data used for measuring the transfer rate of data sent from the information processing apparatus.

29. An information processing terminal according to claim 26, further comprising:

second receiving means for receiving a predetermined amount of data from the information processing apparatus;

measurement means for measuring the transfer time of the predetermined amount of data received by the second receiving means; and

calculation means for calculating a transfer rate according to the predetermined amount of data and the transfer time measured by the measurement means,

wherein the generation means generates the information according to the transfer rate calculated by the calculation means.

30. An information processing terminal according to claim 26, further comprising:

determination means for determining whether the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal are connected to the same network,

wherein the generation means generates the information according to the result of determination made by the determination means.

31. An information processing terminal according to claim 30, wherein the determination means compares addresses assigned by a predetermined communication protocol to the information processing apparatus and to the information processing terminal to determine whether the information processing terminal and the information processing apparatus are connected to the same network.

32. An information processing terminal according to claim 31, wherein the determination means determines that the information processing terminal and the information processing apparatus are connected to the same network, when the addresses of the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal have the same network section.

33. An information processing terminal according to claim 31, wherein the determination means determines that the information processing terminal and the information processing apparatus are connected to the same network, when the addresses of the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal fall in the same private-address range.

34. An information processing terminal according to claim 31, wherein the determination means determines that the information processing terminal and the information processing apparatus are connected to the same network, when the addresses of the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal fall in the same link-local-address range.

35. An information processing terminal according to claim 31, wherein the determination means determines that the information processing terminal and the information processing apparatus are connected to the same network, when the addresses of the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal fall in the same site-local-address range.

36. An information processing terminal according to claim 30, wherein the determination means determines that the information processing terminal and the information processing apparatus are connected to the same network, when it is determined that the information processing apparatus is managed by a router which manages the information processing terminal.

37. An information processing terminal according to claim 30, wherein the network is formed of a plurality of network segments.

38. An information processing terminal according to claim 30, wherein the network is formed of only one network segment.

39. An information processing terminal according to claim 26, wherein the reproduction means reproduces the data according to a parameter described in the header of the data received by the receiving means.

40. An information processing terminal according to claim 39, wherein the parameter includes at least one of the number of quantization bits and the sampling frequency of the data.

41. An information processing method for receiving and reproducing data stream-distributed by an information processing apparatus, comprising the steps of:

generating information used by the information processing apparatus to determine whether data to be distributed can be stream-distributed;

transmitting the generated information to the information processing apparatus;

receiving not-compressed data stream-distributed by the information processing apparatus; and

reproducing the received data.

42. A recording medium readable by an information processing terminal for receiving and reproducing data stream-distributed by an information processing apparatus and having stored thereon a program for the information processing terminal, the program comprising the steps of:

generating information used by the information processing apparatus to determine whether data to be distributed can be stream-distributed;

transmitting the generated information to the information processing apparatus;

receiving not-compressed data stream-distributed by the information processing apparatus; and

reproducing the received data.

43. A program executable by a computer for controlling an information processing terminal which receives and reproduces data stream-distributed by an information processing apparatus, comprising the steps of:

generating information used by the information processing apparatus to determine whether data to be distributed can be stream-distributed;

transmitting the generated information to the information processing apparatus;

receiving not-compressed data stream-distributed by the information processing apparatus; and

reproducing the received data.

44. An information processing system comprising:

an information processing apparatus; and

an information processing terminal,

wherein the information processing apparatus stream-distributes data to the information processing terminal and the information processing terminal receives and reproduces the stream-distributed data,

the information processing apparatus comprises;

determination means for determining whether data to be distributed can be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal; and

transmission means for stream-distributing the data to be distributed, to the information processing terminal when the determination means determines that the data to be distributed can be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal, and

the information processing terminal comprises;

receiving means for receiving not-compressed data stream-distributed by the information processing apparatus; and

reproduction means for reproducing the data received by the receiving means.

45. An information processing system according to claim 44, where the information processing apparatus further comprises data decompression means for reading compressed data corresponding to the data to be distributed, and for decompressing the compressed data to generate the data to be distributed, and

the data decompressed by the data decompression means is stream-distributed by the transmission means.

46. An information processing system according to claim 44,

where the information processing terminal further comprises:

generation means for generating information used by the information processing apparatus to determine whether the data to be distributed can be stream-distributed; and

information transmission means for transmitting the information generated by the generation means to the information processing apparatus,

the information processing apparatus further comprises information receiving means for receiving the information transmitted by the information transmission means, and

the determination means determines whether the data to be distributed can be transmitted to the information processing terminal, according to the information received by the information receiving means.