Contents providing system and method, providing apparatus and method, reproduction apparatus and method, and program

• US 20050120372A1
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Itakura, Eisaburo
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234327 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• 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 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An apparatus and method is disclosed by which contents can be provided in accordance with the preference of a user. A selection control section of a contents providing apparatus selects sub contents conforming to a preference of a user from within a contents server based on static preference information of the user stored in a preference information storage section. A QoS controller adjusts the sub contents based on meta information included in the sub contents and transmits the adjusted sub contents to a user terminal apparatus through a sender section. The user terminal apparatus reproduces the sub contents and extracts and transmits dynamic preference information of the user for the reproduced sub contents to the contents providing apparatus. The QoS controller adjusts next sub contents based on the dynamic preference information and meta information included in the next sub contents. The invention can be applied to a system which provides contents.

Claims

1. A contents providing system for providing layered encoding contents, comprising:

storage means for storing first preference information representative of a preference of a user;

selection means for selecting contents based on the first preference information stored in said storage means;

reproduction means for reproducing the contents selected by said selection means;

detection means for detecting second preference information representative of a preference of the user for the contents reproduced by said reproduction means; and

adjustment means for adjusting the contents based on the second preference information detected by said detection means.

2. A contents providing method for a contents providing system for providing layered encoding contents, comprising:

a selection step of selecting contents based on first preference information stored in advance and representative of a preference of a user;

a reproduction step of reproducing the contents selected by the process of the selection step;

a detection step of detecting second preference information representative of a preference of the user for the contents reproduced by the process of the reproduction step; and

an adjustment step of adjusting the contents based on the second preference information detected by the process of the detection step.

3. A providing apparatus for providing layered encoding contents, comprising:

first preference information acquisition means for acquiring first preference information stored in advance and representative of a preference of a user;

selection means for selecting contents based on the first preference information acquired by said first preference information acquisition means; and

adjustment means for adjusting the contents selected by said selection means based on the first preference information.

4. The providing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising second preference information acquisition means for acquiring second preference information representative of a preference of the user for the reproduced contents adjusted by said adjustment means, said adjustment means further adjusting contents to be reproduced next based on the second preference information acquired by said second preference information acquisition means.

5. The providing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising meta information acquisition means for acquiring meta information from within the contents selected by said selection means, said adjustment means adjusting the contents based on the first preference information and the meta information.

6. A providing method for a providing apparatus for providing layered encoding contents, comprising:

a preference information acquisition step of acquiring first preference information stored in advance and representative of a preference of a user;

a selection step of selecting contents based on the first preference information acquired by the process of the preference information acquisition step; and

an adjustment step of adjusting the contents selected by the process of the selection step based on the first preference information.

7. A program for providing layered encoding contents, said program causing a computer to execute a process comprising:

a preference information acquisition step of acquiring first preference information stored in advance and representative of a preference of a user;

a selection step of selecting contents based on the first preference information acquired by the process of the preference information acquisition step; and

an adjustment step of adjusting the contents selected by the process of the selection step based on the first preference information.

8. A reproduction apparatus for reproducing layered encoding contents, comprising:

preference information acquisition means for acquiring first preference information stored in advance and representative of a preference of a user;

contents acquisition means for acquiring contents to be reproduced;

adjustment means for adjusting the contents acquired by said contents acquisition means based on the first preference information; and

reproduction means for reproducing the contents adjusted by said adjustment means.

9. The reproduction apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said contents acquisition means includes contents selection means for selecting contents based on the first preference information.

10. The reproduction apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising detection means for detecting second preference information representative of a preference of the user for the contents reproduced by said reproduction means, said adjustment means further adjusting the contents based on the second preference information detected by said detection means.

11. The reproduction apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising meta information acquisition means for acquiring meta information from within the contents acquired by said contents acquisition means, said adjustment means adjusting the contents based on the first preference information and the meta information.

12. A reproduction method for a reproduction apparatus for reproducing layered encoding contents, comprising:

a preference information acquisition step of acquiring first preference information stored in advance and representative of a preference of a user;

a contents acquisition step of acquiring contents to be reproduced;

an adjustment step of adjusting the contents acquired by the process of the contents acquisition step based on the first preference information; and

a reproduction step of reproducing the contents adjusted by the process of the adjustment step.

13. A program for reproducing layered encoding contents, said program causing a computer to execute a process comprising:

a preference information acquisition step of acquiring first preference information stored in advance and representative of a preference of a user;

a contents acquisition step of acquiring contents to be reproduced;

an adjustment step of adjusting the contents acquired by the process of the contents acquisition step based on the first preference information; and

a reproduction step of reproducing the contents adjusted by the process of the adjustment step.

14. A reproduction apparatus for reproducing layered encoding contents, comprising:

contents acquisition means for acquiring contents to be reproduced;

reproduction means for reproducing the contents acquired by said contents acquisition means;

detection means for detecting first preference information representative of a preference of the user for the contents reproduced by said reproduction means; and

adjustment means for adjusting the contents based on the first preference information detected by said detection means.

15. The reproduction apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising meta information acquisition means for acquiring meta information from within the contents acquired by said contents acquisition means, said adjustment means adjusting the contents based on the first preference information and the meta information.

16. A reproduction method for a reproduction apparatus for reproducing layered encoding contents, comprising:

a contents acquisition step of acquiring contents to be reproduced;

a reproduction step of reproducing the contents acquired by the process of the contents acquisition step;

a detection step of detecting first preference information representative of a preference of the user for the contents reproduced by the process of the reproduction step; and

an adjustment step of adjusting the contents based on the first preference information detected by the process of the detection step.

17. A program for reproducing layered encoding contents, said program causing a computer to execute a process comprising:

a contents acquisition step of acquiring contents to be reproduced;

a reproduction step of reproducing the contents acquired by the process of the contents acquisition step;

a detection step of detecting first preference information representative of a preference of the user for the contents reproduced by the process of the reproduction step; and

an adjustment step of adjusting the contents based on the first preference information detected by the process of the detection step.