Network AV system using personal computer

• US 20050010964A1
• Filed: 07/01/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Onkyo Technology Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: ONKYO Corporation (Onkyo Home Entertainment Corp.)
• Inventors: Kudoh, Youichi, Sano, Toshinobu
• Granted Patent: US 8,935,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/134
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]

Abstract

A network audio system allows AV files existing in a PC to be readily registered and music to be reproduced using a client machine. The client machine is connected to the PC and a server application and a controller application are installed in the PC. Music is reproduced using the client machine based on an AV file existing in a user folder, when the user drags and drops an icon for the AV folder to an icon for the client machine. In response to the operation, the controller application produces music piece information including the artist name and the like based the tag information of the AV file. When the music piece information is not yet registered, the server application provides the music piece information with a music piece ID for registration in the content information database. The controller application transmits a command including the ID to the client machine.

Claims

1. A network AV system, comprising:

a personal computer having a memory device for storing a plurality of AV files; and

a client machine connected to said personal computer through a network for reproducing audio sounds and/or visual images based on an AV file distributed from said personal computer,

said personal computer having a server application program and a controller application program installed,

said controller application program comprising the steps of selecting a desired AV file among the AV files stored in said memory device; and

instructing said client machine to reproduce said selected AV file,

said client machine comprising a transmitter responsive to the instruction for reproduction from said controller application program and transmitting a request to distribute said selected AV file to the server application program,

said server application program comprising the steps of;

reading out said selected AV file from said memory device in response to the request for distribution from said client machine; and

distributing said read out AV file to said client machine.

2. The network AV system according to claim 1, wherein

said memory device has a server region under the control of said server application program and a general region other than the server region,

said memory device stores a database for registering AV information related to said AV files,

said step of selecting selects said desired AV file among the AV files stored in said general region, and

said server application program further comprises the step of registering AV information related to said selected AV file in said database.

3. The network AV system according to claim 2, wherein

said controller application program further comprises the steps of:

producing said AV information based on the tag information of said selected AV file; and

requesting said server application program to register said produced AV information, and

said step of registering registers said produced AV information in response to the request for registration from said controller application program.

4. The network AV system according to claim 3, wherein

said server application program further comprises the steps of:

comparing said produced AV information to the AV information registered in said database, and

proceeding to said step of registering if said produced AV information is not registered in said database.

5. The network AV system according to claim 2, wherein

said step of registering provides said AV information with an identifier,

said server application program further comprises the step of transmitting said identifier to said controller application program, and

said step of instructing transmits said identifier to said client machine.

6. The network AV system according to claim 1, wherein

said controller application program further comprises the steps of

displaying icons for a plurality of said client machine on a display for said personal computer, and

displaying information regarding a selected client machine among said plurality of client machines on the display for said personal computer.

7. The network AV system according to claim 1, wherein

said controller application program further comprises the step of displaying an icon for said client machine on a display for said personal computer, and

said step of selecting selects said desired AV file in response to the operation of the user to drag and drop an icon for said desired AV file to the icon for said client machine.

8. The network AV system according to claim 1, wherein

said controller application program further comprises the step of displaying a list of said AV file among a plurality of desired files in response to the operation of the user to drag and drop icons for said plurality of desired files to the icon for said client machine on a display for said personal computer.

9. The network AV system according to claim 1, wherein

said memory devise further stores a first list construction key necessary for producing a list of AV files which said client machine reproduces audio sounds and/or visual images based on,

said controller application program further comprises the steps of:

setting a second list construction key necessary for specifying a temporary list of AV files which said client machine reproduces audio sounds and/or visual images based on, said second list construction key including information for identifying said controller application program that has instructed said client machine, and

comparing said first list construction key with said second list construction key to determine whether or not said controller application program has instructed said client machine when said client machine completes reproduction of said selected AV file, and

said step of instructing instructs said client machine to reproduce the next AV file among said temporary list when said controller application program has instructed said client machine as a result of the determination.

10. A controller application program product causing a personal computer that is connected to a client machine and has a memory device for storing a plurality of AV files and a sever application program for distributing an AV file to said client machine in response to a request from said client machine, to perform the steps of:

selecting a desired AV file among the AV files stored in said memory device; and

instructing said client machine to reproduce audio sounds and/or visual images based on the selected AV file.

11. The controller application program product according to claim 10, wherein

said memory device has a server region under the control of said server application program and a general region other than the server region, and

said step of selecting selects the desired AV file among the AV files stored in said general region.

12. The controller application program product according to claim 11, further causing the personal computer to perform the steps of

producing AV information based on the tag information of the selected AV file;

and

requesting said server application program to register the produced AV information.

13. The controller application program product according to claim 10, further causing the personal computer to perform the step of displaying an icon for said client machine on a display for said personal computer, wherein

said step of selecting selects the desired AV file in response to the operation of the user to drag and drop an icon for the desired AV file to the icon for said client machine.

14. The controller application program product according to claim 10, further causing the personal computer to perform the steps of:

displaying icons for a plurality of said client machine on a display for said personal computer, and

displaying information regarding a selected client machine among said plurality of client machines on the display for said personal computer.

15. The controller application program product according to claim 10, further causing the personal computer to perform the step of displaying a list of said AV file among a plurality of desired files in response to the operation of the user to drag and drop icons for said plurality of desired files to the icon for said client machine on a display for said personal computer.

16. A server application program product causing a personal computer that is connected to a client machine and has a memory device for storing a plurality of AV files and a controller application program for selecting an AV file and instructing said client machine to reproduce audio sounds and/or visual images based on the selected AV file, to perform the steps of:

reading out the selected AV file from said memory device in response to a request from said client machine; and

distributing the read out AV file to said client machine; and

registering AV information related to the selected AV file in a database stored in said memory device.

17. The server application program product according to claim 16, wherein

said step of registering registers the AV information produced by said controller application program based on the tag information of the selected AV file.

18. The server application program product according to claim 16, further causing the personal computer to perform the steps of:

comparing said produced AV information to the AV information registered in said database, and

proceeding to said step of registering if the produced AV information is not registered in said database.

19. The server application program product according to claim 16, wherein

said step of registering provides the AV information with an identifier,

said server application program product further causes the personal computer to perform the step of transmitting the identifier to said controller application program.