Network AV system

• US 20050034164A1
• Filed: 07/29/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ONKYO Corporation (Onkyo Home Entertainment Corp.)
• Original Assignee: ONKYO Corporation (Onkyo Home Entertainment Corp.)
• Inventors: Sawada, Hideyuki, Sano, Toshinobu, Chiba, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,412,801 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/91
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0058 Transmission between separate instruments or between individual components of a musical system G10H1/0083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/125 Library distribution, i.e. distributing musical pieces from a central or master library
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/285 USB, i.e. either using a USB plug as power supply or using the USB protocol to exchange data
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/315 Firewire, i.e. transmission according to IEEE1394
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2181 comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Each of servers in a global list server system includes a local list of music piece data stored by the each server and a global list of the music piece data stored by the servers. A client requests an arbitrary server to provide the global list and the server transmits the global list to the client upon receiving the request. The client refers to the global list and requests a server storing desired music piece data to transfer the music piece data. The server transmits music piece data to the client upon receiving the transfer request for the music piece data.

Claims

1. A network AV system comprising a plurality of servers and first and second clients that can be connected to at least one of said plurality of servers,

each said server comprising a storage device for storing a plurality of contents,

at least one of said servers comprising:

a global list storage device for storing a global list of a plurality of contents stored by said plurality of servers; and

a global list transmitter transmitting the global list to said first client,

said first client comprising a reproducing instructor transmitting a reproducing instruction for a content selected in the transmitted global list to said second client through said server,

said second client comprising a content requester responsive to said reproducing instruction and requesting said server to provide the selected content,

at least one of said servers further comprising a content returner responsive to the request from said second client and returning the selected content to said second client, and

said second client further comprising a reproducer reproducing the content returned from said server.

2. A network AV system comprising a plurality of servers and one or more clients that can be connected to at least one of said plurality of servers,

each said server comprising:

a storage device for storing a plurality of contents;

a global list storage device for storing a global list of a plurality of contents stored by said plurality of servers; and

a global list transmitter transmitting the global list to said client.

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

said client comprises a content requester requesting said server to provide a content selected in the transmitted global list,

each said server comprises a content returner responsive to a request from said client and returning the selected content to said client, and

said client further comprises a reproducer reproducing said returned content.

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

the global list includes addresses for the plurality of servers storing the plurality of contents, and

said content requester requests the selected content based on the address of said server.

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

each said server further comprises:

a local list storage device for storing a local list of a plurality of contents stored by said server;

a local list transmitter transmitting the local list to the other server; and

a global list updater updating the global list based on its own local list and a local list transmitted from the other server.

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

said local list transmitter transmits the updated local list to the other server every time its own local list is updated, and

said global list updater updates the global list every time its own local list is updated, or every time the updated local list is received.

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

each said server further comprises a disconnection notifier transmitting disconnection notification to the other server before disconnecting from said network AV system, and

said global list updater updates the global list in order to delete the local list of the other server transmitting the disconnection notification in response to the disconnection notification.

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

said global list transmitter transmits the updated global list to said client every time said global list updater updates the global list.

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

each said server comprises:

a first establisher establishing connection at a command port for transmitting/receiving a command between said server and the other server; and

a second establisher establishing connection at a push port for forcibly transmitting a request to said server from the other server.

10. The network AV system according to claim 3, wherein said client comprises:

a first command port establisher establishing connection at a first command port for obtaining the global list from said server; and

a second command port establisher establishing connection at a second command port for obtaining the selected content from said server.

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

each said server further comprises a takeover notifier instructing said client to connect with a takeover server that continues to return the rest of the selected content when said server ends operating while said content returner returns the selected content.

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

each said server comprises:

a takeover server selector selecting a takeover server to continue to return the rest of the selected content among the other servers when said server ends operating while said content returner returns the selected content; and

a transmitter transmitting the selected content to said takeover server, and

said content requester in said client in the process of reproducing the selected content requests said takeover server to continue to return the rest of the selected content.

13. The network AV system according to claim 11, wherein

each said server further comprises:

a calculator calculating the data length of the already returned part of the content to said client; and

a determiner determining an obtaining start address indicating the address of the location of the content to be obtained from said takeover server by said client based on said calculated data length, and

said takeover notifier notifies the obtaining start address to said client.

14. The network AV system according to claim 12, wherein

each said server comprises a server list storage device for storing a server list including the server information of the other servers connected to said server, and

said takeover server selector selects said takeover server based on the server list.

15. The network AV system according to claim 14, wherein

said takeover server selector selects the other server connected to said server first as said takeover server among the other servers stored in said server list.

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

said plurality of clients comprise first and second clients,

said first client includes a reproducing instructor transmitting a reproducing instruction for a content selected in the transmitted global list to said second client through said server,

said second client includes a content requester responsive to said reproducing instruction and requesting said server to provide the selected content,

each said server further includes a content returner responsive to the request from said second client and returning said selected content to said second client, and

said second client further comprises a reproducer reproducing the content returned from said server.

17. The network AV system according to claim 16, wherein

said first client includes a server list storage device for storing a server list including the information of a server connected to said second client, and

said reproducing instructor transmits a reproducing instruction to said second client through said server connected to said second client based on said server list.

18. A network AV system comprising a center server, a sub server, and one or more clients that can be connected to said center server and/or said sub server,

said center server and said sub server each comprising a storage device for storing a plurality of contents,

said center server further comprising:

a global list storage device for storing a global list of a plurality of contents stored by said center server and said sub server; and

a global list transmitter transmitting the global list to said client,

said client comprising a content requester requesting said center server to provide a content selected in the transmitted global list,

said center server further comprising;

a server specifier responsive to the request from said client and specifying a server storing the selected content based on said global list;

a content obtainer obtaining the selected content from its own storage device when said specified server is said center server and obtaining the selected content from the storage device of said sub server when said specified server is said sub server; and

a content returner responsive to the request from said client and returning the content obtained by said content obtainer to said client, and

said client further comprising a reproducer reproducing the content returned from said center server.

19. The network AV system according to claim 18, wherein

the global list includes the addresses of a plurality of servers storing a plurality of contents, and

said server specifier specifies the address of said server storing the content requested by said content requester.

20. The network AV system according to claim 18, wherein

said sub server further comprises a content returner responsive to the request from said client and returning the selected content to said client,

the global list includes the addresses of a plurality of servers storing a plurality of contents, and

said content requester requests said sub server specified based on the global list to provide the selected content.

26. The network AV system according to claim 18, wherein

said center server and said sub server each comprise a local list storage device for storing a local list of contents stored by them, and

said center server comprises:

a first command port establisher establishing connection at a first command port for obtaining the local list from said sub server;

an obtainer obtaining the local list of said sub server after establishing connection at said first command port;

an updater uptating the global list based on the obtained local list and its own local list; and

a second command port establisher establishing connection at a second command port for obtaining the selected content from the sub server specified by said server specifier.

28. The network AV system according to claim 18, wherein

said center server further comprises a takeover notifier instructing said client to connect to a takeover server that takes over the operation of said center server when said center server ends operating.

29. The network AV system according to claim 18, wherein

said center server further comprises:

a takeover server selector selecting said takeover server among said sub servers; and

a center server takeover instructor instructing said sub server selected by said takeover server selector to take over the operation of the center server.

30. The network AV system according to claim 28, wherein

said center server further comprises:

a calculator calculating the data length of the returned part of a content to said client when said center server ends operating while returning said content to said client, the content being obtained by said content obtainer; and

a determiner determining an obtaining start address indicating the address of the location of the content to be obtained from said takeover server by said client based on the data length calculated by said calculator, and

said takeover notifier notifies the obtaining start address to said client.

31. The network AV system according to claim 28, wherein

said center server further comprises a transmitter transmitting a content to said takeover server when said center server ends operating while returning the content to said client by said content returner, the content being stored by said center server.

32. The network AV system according to claim 29, wherein

said center server comprises a server list storage device for storing a server list including the identification information of said sub server, and

said takeover server selector selects said takeover server based on the server list.

21. A network AV system comprising a center server, a sub server, and one or more clients that can be connected to said center server and/or said sub server,

said center server and said sub server each comprising a storage device for storing a plurality of contents,

said center server further comprising:

a global list storage device for storing a global list of a plurality of contents stored by said center server and said sub server; and

a global list transmitter transmitting the global list to said client,

said center server and said sub server each further comprising a local list storage device for storing a local list of contents stored by them,

said sub server further comprising a local list transmitter transmitting the local list to said center server, and

said center server further comprising a global list updater updating the global list based on said its own local list and the local list transmitted from said sub server.

22. The network AV system according to claim 21, wherein

said local list transmitter transmits an updated local list to said center server every time its own local list is updated, and

said global list updater updates the global list every time its own local list is updated or the updated local list is received.

23. The network AV system according to claim 21, wherein

said sub server further comprises a disconnection notifier transmitting disconnection notification to said center server before said sub server is disconnected from said network AV system, and

said global list updater updates the global list in order to delete the local list of said sub server transmitting the disconnection notification in response to said disconnection notification.

24. The network AV system according to claim 21, wherein

said global list transmitter transmits the updated global list to said client every time said global list updater updates the global list.

25. A network AV system comprising a center server, a sub server, and one or more clients that can be connected to said center server and/or said sub server,

said center server and said sub server each comprising a storage device for storing a plurality of contents,

said center server further comprising:

a global list storage device for storing a global list of a plurality of contents stored by said center server and said sub server;

a global list transmitter transmitting the global list to said client;

a first establisher establishing connection at a command port for transmitting/receiving a command between said center server and said sub server; and

a second establisher establishing connection at a push port for forcibly transmitting a request from said sub server to said center server.

27. A network AV system comprising a center server, a sub server, and one or more clients that can be connected to said center server and/or said sub server,

said center server and said sub server each comprising a storage device for storing a plurality of contents,

said center server further comprising:

a global list storage device for storing a global list of a plurality of contents stored by said center server and said sub server; and

a global list transmitter transmitting the global list to said client,

said client comprising a content requester requesting said center server to provide a content selected in the transmitted global list,

said center server further comprising a content returner responsive to the request from said client and returning the selected content to said client, and

said client further comprising a reproducer reproducing the content returned from said center server,

said client further comprising;

a first command port establisher establishing connection at a first command port for obtaining the global list from said center server; and

a second command port establisher establishing connection at a second command port for obtaining the selected content from said center server.

33. A network AV system comprising a center server, a sub server, and first and second clients that can be connected to said center server and/or said sub server,

said center server and said sub server each comprising a storage device for storing a plurality of contents,

said center server further comprising:

a global list storage device for storing a global list of a plurality of contents stored by said center server and said sub server; and

a global list transmitter transmitting the global list to said first client,

said first client comprising a reproducing instructor transmitting a reproducing instruction for a content selected in the transmitted global list to said second client through said center server,

said second client comprising a content requester responsive to said reproducing instruction and requesting said center server or said sub server to provide the selected content,

at least one of said center server and said sub server further comprises a content returner responsive to the request from said second client and returning the selected content to said second client, and

said second client further includes a reproducer reproducing the content returned from said center server or said sub server.

34. A list distributing method in a network AV system comprising a plurality of servers and one or more clients that can be connected to at least one of said plurality of servers, said list distributing method comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of contents in said plurality of servers;

storing a global list of said plurality of contents in each said server; and

transmitting the global list from said server to said client.

35. The list distributing method according to claim 34, further comprising the steps of:

requesting said server to provide said client with a content selected in the transmitted global list;

returning the selected content from said server to said client in response to the request; and

reproducing said returned content by said client.

36. The list distributing method according to claim 34, further comprising the steps of:

storing a local list of contents stored by each said server in each said server;

transmitting the local list from said server to the other server; and

updating by said server the global list based on its own local list and a local list transmitted to said server from the other server.

37. The list distributing method according to claim 34, further comprising the steps of:

establishing connection at a command port for transmitting/receiving a command between said server and the other server; and

establishing connection at a push port for forcibly transmitting a request to said server from the other server.

38. The list distributing method according to claim 34, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a reproducing instruction for a content selected in the global list from said client to the other client through said server;

requesting said server to provide the other client with the selected content in response to said reproducing instruction;

returning the selected content from said server to the other client in response to the request; and

reproducing the content returned from said server by the other client.

39. A server connectable to the other server and a client comprising:

a storage device for storing a plurality of contents;

a global list storage device for storing a global list of a plurality of contents stored by said server and the other server;

a global list transmitter transmitting the global list to said client.

40. The server according to claim 39, further comprising:

a content returner responsive to a request to provide said client with a content selected in the transmitted global list from said client and returning the selected content to said client.

41. The server according to claim 39, further comprising:

a local list storage device for storing a local list of the contents stored in said storage device;

a local list transmitter transmitting its own local list to the other server; and

a global list updater updating the global list based on its own local list and the local lists transmitted from the other server.

42. The server according to claim 41, wherein

said local list transmitter transmits the updated local list to the other server every time its own local list is updated, and

said global list updater updates the global list every time its own local list is updated, or every time the updated local list is received.

43. The server according to claim 41, further comprising a disconnection notifier transmitting disconnection notification to the other server before disconnecting from the other server, wherein

said global list updater updates the global list in order to delete the local list of the other server transmitting the disconnection notification in response to the disconnection notification.

44. The server according to claim 39, comprising:

a first establisher establishing connection at a command port for transmitting/receiving a command between said server and the other server; and

a second establisher establishing connection at a push port for forcibly transmitting a request to said server from the other server.

45. A client connectable to at least one of a plurality of servers comprising:

a receiver receiving a global list of a plurality of contents stored by said plurality of servers;

a content requester requesting said server to provide a content selected in the received global list; and

a reproducer reproducing said selected content returned from said server;

a first command port establisher establishing connection at a first command port for obtaining the global list from said server; and

a second command port establisher establishing connection at a second command port for obtaining said selected content from said server.

46. A center server connectable to a sub server and a client comprising:

a storage device for storing a plurality of contents;

a global list storage device for storing a global list of a plurality of contents stored by said center server and said sub server;

a global list transmitter transmitting the global list to said client;

a server specifier responsive to a request from said client to provide a content selected in the global list and specifying a server storing the selected content based on the global list;

a content obtainer obtaining the selected content from its own storage device when said specified server is said center server and obtaining the selected content from said sub server when said specified server is said sub server; and

a content returner responsive to the request from said client and returning the content obtained by said content obtainer to said client.

49. The center sever according to claim 46, further comprising:

a local list storage device for storing a local list of the contents stored in said storage device;

a first command port establisher establishing connection at a first command port for obtaining a local list of said sub server;

an obtainer obtaining the local list of said sub server after establishing connection at said first command port;

an updater updating the global list based on the obtained local list and its own local list; and

a second command port establisher establishing connection at a second command port for obtaining the selected content from the sub server specified by said server specifier.

47. A center server connectable to a sub server and a client comprising:

a storage device for storing a plurality of contents;

a global list storage device for storing a global list of a plurality of contents stored by said center server and said sub server;

a global list transmitter transmitting the global list to said client;

a local list storage device for storing a local list of contents stored in said storage device; and

a global list updater updating the global list based on said its own local list and the local list transmitted from said sub server.

48. A center server connectable to a sub server and a client comprising:

a storage device for storing a plurality of contents;

a global list storage device for storing a global list of a plurality of contents stored by said center server and said sub server;

a global list transmitter transmitting the global list to said client;

a first establisher establishing connection at a command port for transmitting/receiving a command between said center server and said sub server; and

a second establisher establishing connection at a push port for forcibly transmitting a request from said sub server to said center server.

50. A client connectable to a center server and/or a sub server comprising:

a receiver receiving a global list of a plurality of contents stored by said center server and said sub server from said center server;

a content requester requesting said center server or said sub server to provide a content selected in the received global list;

a reproducer reproducing the content returned from said center server or said sub server;

a first command port establisher establishing connection at a first command port for obtaining the global list from said center server; and

a second command port establisher establishing connection at a second command port for obtaining the selected content from said center server or said sub server.

51. A computer program product causing a server connectable to the other server and a client to perform the steps of:

storing a plurality of contents in a storage device;

storing a global list of a plurality of contents stored by said server and the other server; and

transmitting the global list to said client.

52. The computer program product according to claim 51, further causing said server to perform the step of returning the selected content to said client in response to a request from said client.

53. The computer program product according to claim 51, further causing said server to perform the steps of:

storing a local list of contents stored in said storage device;

transmitting its own local list to the other server; and

updating the global list based on said its own local list and a local list transmitted from the other server.

54. The computer program product according to claim 53, wherein

said step of transmitting transmits the updated local list to the other server every time its own local list is updated, and

said step of updating updates the global list every time its own local list is updated, or every time the updated local list is received.

55. The computer program product according to claim 53, further causing said server to perform the step of transmitting disconnection notification to the other server before disconnecting from the other server, wherein

said step of updating updates the global list in order to delete the local list of the other server transmitting the disconnection notification in response to the disconnection notification.

56. The computer program product according to claim 51, further causing said server to perform the steps of:

establishing connection at a command port for transmitting/receiving a command between said server and the other server; and

establishing connection at a push port for forcibly transmitting a request to said server from the other server.

57. A computer program product causing a client connectable to at least one of plurality of servers to perform the steps of:

receiving a global list of a plurality of contents stored by said plurality of servers;

requesting said server to provide a content selected in the received global list;

reproducing said selected content returned from said server;

establishing connection at a first command port for obtaining the global list from said server; and

establishing connection at a second command port for obtaining the selected content from said server.

58. A computer program product causing a center server connectable to a sub server and a client to perform the steps of:

storing a plurality of contents in a storage device;

storing a global list of a plurality of contents stored by said center server and said sub server;

transmitting the global list to said client;

receiving a request from said client to provide a content selected in the transmitted global list;

specifying a server storing the selected content based on the global list in response to the request from said client;

obtaining the selected content from its own storage device when said specified server is said center server and obtaining the selected content from said sub server when said specified server is said sub server; and

returning the obtained content in response to the request from said client.

61. The computer program product according to claim 58, further causing the center server to perform the steps of:

storing a local list of contents stored in said storage device;

establishing connection at a first command port for obtaining a local list of contents stored by said sub server from said sub server;

obtaining the local list of said sub server after establishing connection at said first command port;

updating the global list based on the obtained local list and its own local list; and

establishing connection at a second command port for obtaining the selected content from the sub server specified by said step of specifying.

59. A computer program product causing a center server connectable to a sub server and a client to perform the steps of:

storing a plurality of contents in a storage device;

storing a global list of a plurality of contents stored by said center server and said sub server;

transmitting the global list to said client;

storing a local list of the contents stored in said storage device; and

updating the global list based on said its own local list and a local list transmitted from said sub server.

60. A computer program product causing a center server connectable to a sub server and a client to perform the steps of:

storing a plurality of contents in a storage device;

storing a global list of a plurality of contents stored by said center server and said sub server;

transmitting the global list to said client;

establishing connection at a command port for transmitting/receiving a command between said center server and said sub server; and

establishing connection at a push port for forcibly transmitting a request from said sub server to said center server.

62. A computer program product causing a client connectable to a center server and/or a sub server to perform the steps of:

receiving a global list of a plurality of contents stored by said center server and said sub server from said center server;

requesting said center server or said sub server to provide a content selected in the global list,

reproducing the content returned from said center server or said sub server,

establishing connection at a first command port for obtaining the global list from said center server; and

establishing connection at a second command port for obtaining the selected content from said center server or said sub server.