Data delivery apparatus and method, and terminal apparatus

• US 20050214728A1
• Filed: 03/03/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Kikuchi, Takeshi, Sato, Toshikazu
• Granted Patent: US 7,792,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/307.R
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00

Abstract

Data delivery apparatus communicate with a plurality of terminals via a communication network. Member table stores a member ID and attribute data of each member. When a member logs in via a terminal, its communication address is written into the table in association with its member ID. When a command requesting delivery of particular data has been received from a terminal, the delivery apparatus refers to the table, on the basis of the communication address of the terminal having transmitted the command, to determine whether the attribute data corresponding to the member ID is indicative of a predetermined attribute. If so, the delivery apparatus reads out the particular data from a database and broadcasts the particular data to all of terminal apparatus having their respective communication addresses stored in the table. The delivery apparatus can broadcast data, transmitted from a terminal, to all of the members, with reference to the table. The broadcasted data may be stored in a sharing memory so that the data can be transmitted to another terminal having logged in at a later time. On the basis of performance data generated in response to performance of a musical instrument, an image indicative of the contents of the performance is created and then displayed along with a graphic image emulating the musical instrument.

Claims

1. A data delivery apparatus comprising:

a member storage section that, for each of members of a group, stores an identifier for identifying the member and attribute data indicative of an attribute of the member;

a reception section that receives, via a network, data or command transmitted from a terminal apparatus;

a write control section that, when data of an identifier transmitted from a terminal apparatus has been received by said reception section, writes a communication address of the terminal apparatus, having transmitted the identifier, into said member storage section in association with the received identifier; and

a broadcast transmission control section that, when a command requesting delivery of particular data has been received by said reception section, determines whether the attribute data corresponding to the identifier stored in said member storage section in association with a communication address of a terminal apparatus having transmitted the command is indicative of a predetermined attribute, and that, if it has been determined that the attribute data is indicative of the predetermined attribute, transmits, via the network, the particular data to all of terminal apparatus of the group having respective communication addresses thereof stored in said member storage section.

2. A data delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises:

a data-writable sharing storage section;

a write control section that, when the command requesting delivery of particular data has been received by said reception section, determines whether the attribute data corresponding to the identifier stored in said member storage section in association with the communication address of the terminal apparatus having transmitted the command is indicative of a predetermined attribute, and that, if it has been determined that the attribute data is indicative of the predetermined attribute, writes the particular data into said sharing storage section; and

a follow-causing transmission section that, when data of an identifier transmitted from a terminal apparatus has been received by said reception section, determines whether any data is currently written in said sharing storage section, and, if it has been determined that data is currently written in said sharing storage section, transmits the data written in said sharing storage section to a terminal apparatus having a communication address stored in said sharing storage section in association with the received data of the identifier.

3. A data delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises:

a broadcast transfer section that, when data to be transmitted from a terminal apparatus to another terminal apparatus has been received by said reception section, transmits, via the network, the received data to all of terminal apparatus of the group having respective communication addresses thereof stored in said member storage section.

4. A data delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 3 which further comprises:

a data-writable sharing storage section;

a dynamic write control section that, when data to be transmitted to another terminal apparatus has been received by said reception section, writes the received data into said sharing storage section; and

a follow-causing transmission section that, when data of an identifier transmitted from a terminal apparatus has been received by said reception section, determines whether any data is currently written in said sharing storage section, and, if it has been determined that data is currently written in said sharing storage section, transmits the data written in said sharing storage section to a terminal apparatus having a communication address thereof stored in said sharing storage section in association with the received data of the identifier.

5. A data delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein, when data to be transmitted to another terminal apparatus has been received by said reception section, said dynamic write control section determines whether the attribute data corresponding to the identifier stored in said member storage section in association with a communication address of a terminal apparatus having transmitted the data is indicative of a predetermined attribute, and that, if it has been determined that the attribute data is indicative of the predetermined attribute, writes the received data into said sharing storage section.

6. A data delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 1 which is incorporated in a training system having a plurality of terminals connected to said data delivery apparatus via the network.

7. A data delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the predetermined attribute is an attribute of an instructor in the training system.

8. A data delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the training system is a music performance training system.

9. A data delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the particular data is delivered by being read out from a database provided in said data delivery apparatus.

10. A method for delivering data to terminal apparatus using a member table that, for each of members of a group, stores an identifier for identifying the member and attribute data indicative of an attribute of the member, said method comprising;

a step of receiving, via a network, data or command transmitted from a terminal apparatus;

a step of, when data of an identifier transmitted from a terminal apparatus has been received by said step of receiving, writing a communication address of the terminal apparatus, having transmitted the identifier, into said member table in association with the received identifier; and

a step of, when a command requesting delivery of particular data has been received by said reception section, determining whether the attribute data corresponding to the identifier stored in said member table in association with a communication address of a terminal apparatus having transmitted the command is indicative of a predetermined attribute, and that, if it has been determined that the attribute data is indicative of the predetermined attribute, transmitting, via the network, the particular data to all of the terminal apparatus of the group having respective communication addresses thereof stored in said member table.

11. A program containing a group of instructions for causing a computer to perform a method for delivering data to terminal apparatus using a member table that, for each of members of a group, stores an identifier for identifying the member and attribute data indicative of an attribute of the member, said method comprising;

a step of receiving, via a network, data or command transmitted from a terminal apparatus;

a step of, when data of an identifier transmitted from a terminal apparatus has been received by said step of receiving, writing a communication address of the terminal apparatus, having transmitted the identifier, into said member table in association with the received identifier; and

a step of, when a command requesting delivery of particular data has been received by said reception section, determining whether the attribute data corresponding to the identifier stored in said member table in association with a communication address of a terminal apparatus having transmitted the command is indicative of a predetermined attribute, and that, if it has been determined that the attribute data is indicative of the predetermined attribute, transmitting, via the network, the particular data to all of the terminal apparatus of the group having respective communication addresses thereof stored in said member table.

12. A data delivery apparatus comprising:

a member storage section that, for each of members of a group, stores an identifier for identifying the member and attribute data indicative of an attribute of the member;

a reception section that receives, via a network, data or command transmitted from a terminal apparatus;

a write control section that, when data of an identifier transmitted from a terminal apparatus has been received by said reception section, writes a communication address of the terminal apparatus, having transmitted the identifier, into said member storage section in association with the received identifier;

a setting section that sets said data delivery apparatus in a sharing mode when a command for selecting the sharing mode has been received by said reception section; and

a broadcast transfer control section that, when data to be transmitted from a terminal apparatus to another terminal apparatus has been received by said reception section while said data delivery apparatus is set in the sharing mode, transmits, via the network, the received data to all of terminal apparatus of the group having respective communication addresses thereof stored in said member storage section.

13. A data delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 12 which further comprises a broadcast transfer section that, when data transmitted from a terminal apparatus that does not have a predetermined attribute has been received by said reception section while said data delivery apparatus is not set in the sharing mode, transmits, via the network, the received data to another terminal apparatus having the predetermined attribute.

14. A method for delivering data to terminal apparatus using a member table that, for each of members of a group, stores an identifier for identifying the member and attribute data indicative of an attribute of the member, said method comprising;

a step of receiving, via a network, data or command transmitted from a terminal apparatus;

a step of, when data of an identifier transmitted from a terminal apparatus has been received by said step of receiving, writing a communication address of the terminal apparatus, having transmitted the identifier, into said member table in association with the received identifier;

a step of setting a sharing mode when a command for selecting the sharing mode has been received by said step of receiving; and

a step of, when data to be transmitted from a terminal apparatus to another terminal apparatus has been received by said step of receiving while the sharing mode is set, transmitting, via the network, the received data to all of terminal apparatus of the group having respective communication addresses thereof stored in said member table.

15. A program containing a group of instructions for causing a computer to perform a method for delivering data to terminal apparatus using a member table that, for each of members of a group, stores an identifier for identifying the member and attribute data indicative of an attribute of the member, said method comprising;

a step of receiving, via a network, data or command transmitted from a terminal apparatus;

a step of, when data of an identifier transmitted from a terminal apparatus has been received by said step of receiving, writing a communication address of the terminal apparatus, having transmitted the identifier, into said member table in association with the received identifier;

a step of setting a sharing mode when a command for selecting the sharing mode has been received by said step of receiving; and

a step of, when data to be transmitted from a terminal apparatus to another terminal apparatus has been received by said step of receiving while the sharing mode is set, transmitting, via the network, the received data to all of terminal apparatus of the group having respective communication addresses thereof stored in said member table.

16. A performance displaying terminal apparatus comprising:

an input section that inputs performance data generated in response to a performance of a musical instrument;

an image creation section that, on the basis of the performance data inputted via said input section, creates an image representative of contents of the performance, along with a graphic image emulating a musical instrument; and

a display section that displays the images created by said image creation section.

17. A performance displaying terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein said input section inputs performance data generated in response to a user playing the musical instrument connected to said terminal apparatus by wired or wireless connection.

18. A terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein said input section inputs, via a communication network, performance data generated in response to a human player playing the musical instrument connected to the communication network

19. A performance displaying system comprising:

a first terminal apparatus that inputs performance data generated in response to a performance of a musical instrument and transmits the inputted performance data; and

a second terminal apparatus that receives the performance data transmitted from said first terminal apparatus and, on the basis of the received performance data, creates an image representative of contents of the performance, along with a graphic image emulating a musical instrument.

20. A performance displaying system as claimed in claim 19 wherein, of the performance data generated in response to the performance of the musical instrument, said first terminal apparatus transmits only a portion necessary to create the image representative of the contents of the performance and does not transmit remaining performance data.

21. A performance displaying system as claimed in claim 19 wherein said second terminal apparatus also transmits data of the created images to a communication network.

22. A performance displaying system comprising:

a first terminal apparatus that inputs performance data generated in response to a performance of a musical instrument and transmits the inputted performance data;

a relay device that receives the performance data transmitted from said first terminal apparatus, creates an image representative of contents of the performance, along with a graphic image emulating a musical instrument, on the basis of the received performance data, and transmits image data representative of the created images; and

a second terminal apparatus that receives the image data transmitted from said replay device and displays the images represented by the received image data.

23. A performance displaying system as claimed in claim 22 wherein, of the performance data generated in response to the performance of the musical instrument, said first terminal apparatus transmits only a portion necessary to create the image representative of the contents of the performance and does not transmit remaining performance data.

24. A performance displaying system comprising:

a first terminal apparatus that inputs performance data generated in response to a performance of a musical instrument, creates an image representative of contents of the performance, along with a graphic image emulating a musical instrument, on the basis of the received performance data, and transmits image data representative of the created images; and

a second terminal apparatus that receives the performance data transmitted from said first terminal apparatus and displays the images represented by the received image data.

25. A performance displaying method comprising:

a step of inputting performance data generated in response to a performance of a musical instrument;

a step of, on the basis of the performance data inputted via said step of inputting, creating an image representative of contents of the performance, along with a graphic image emulating a musical instrument; and

a step of displaying, on a display device, the images created by said step of creating.

26. A program containing a group of instructions for causing a computer to perform a performance displaying method, said method comprising:

a step of inputting performance data generated in response to a performance of a musical instrument;

a step of, on the basis of the performance data inputted via said step of inputting, creating an image representative of contents of the performance, along with a graphic image emulating a musical instrument; and

a step of displaying, on a display device, the images created by said step of creating.