Server reservation method, reservation control appartus and program storage medium

• US 20050223041A1
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nishimura, Takanori, Ihara, Keigo, Fukuda, Junko, Sueyoshi, Takahiko, Yoshimine, Takao
• Granted Patent: US 7,856,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5013 Request control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5014 Reservation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

To allow many users to efficiently use the functions of a processing server that performs predetermined processing, via a network and also to prevent interference by illegal users. In a content supply system 100, in order to use a streaming server 102 to perform a live distribution, a user PC 106 to be used makes a reservation for a time zone, etc. to a server reservation control center 101. When the reservation is accepted, the user PC 106 sends a reconfirmation (reconfirmation of the reservation) to the server reservation control center 101 by six hours before the distribution start time according to the reservation. If the reconfirmation is not made by six hours before, the server reservation control center 101 cancels the reservation. On the other hand, if the reconfirmation is made by six hours before, the server reservation control center 101 confirms the reservation and carries out billing processing.

Claims

1. A digital video camera, comprising:

means for capturing an electronic representation of an image;

compressing means for converting the electronic representation of the image into a compressed image;

a modem for encoding the compressed image into a form suitable for transmission; and

a transmitter for transmitting the encoded compressed image to a receiving station, wherein the transmission is carried out in near real time.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image comprises a still image.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the compressing means comprises a JPEG encoder.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image comprises a moving video image.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the compressing means comprises an MPEG encoder.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting using a wireless application protocol.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for capturing comprises a charge coupled device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the compressing means comprises a programmed processor.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising means for encrypting the compressed image prior to transmitting.

10. A digital video camera, comprising:

a charge coupled device for capturing an electronic representation of an image;

a processor that converts the electronic representation of the image into a compressed image;

a modem for encoding the compressed image into a form suitable for transmission; and

a transmitter for transmitting the encoded compressed image to a receiving station, wherein the transmission is carried out in near real time.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the image comprises a still image.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the compressing means comprises a JPEG encoder.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the image comprises a moving video image.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the compressing means comprises an MPEG encoder.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting using a wireless application protocol.

16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising means for encrypting the compressed image prior to transmitting.

17. A digital camera system, comprising:

a digital camera, comprising;

means for capturing an electronic representation of an image;

a compression processor that converts the electronic representation of the image into a compressed image;

a modem for encoding the compressed image into a form suitable for transmission;

a transmitter for transmitting the encoded compressed image, wherein the transmission is carried out in near real time;

a receiving station that receives the transmissions of the encoded compressed image;

an electronic media server that can be accessed via the Internet; and

at the receiving station, means for sending the compressed image to the electronic media server for storage in near real time.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a computer connected to the Internet and receiving the compressed image from the electronic media server.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a computer connected to the Internet and receiving the compressed image from the electronic media server as a streaming video signal.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a computer connected to the Internet and receiving the compressed image from the electronic media server as a streaming video signal in near real time.

21. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the image comprises a still image.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the compression processor comprises a JPEG encoder.

23. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the image comprises a moving video image.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the compression processor comprises an MPEG encoder.

25. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein at the receiving station, the means for sending the compressed image to the electronic media server for storage in near real time comprises means for sending the compressed image through a gateway to the Internet.

26. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising an encrypter that encrypts the compressed image prior to transmitting.

27. A method of storing an electronic image, comprising:

receiving an electronic image;

encoding the electronic image; and

sending the electronic image to a remote electronic media server in near real time.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the image comprises still image.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the image is formatted as a JPEG format image.

30. The method according to claim 27, wherein the image comprises a moving video image.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the moving video image is formatted as an MPEG format moving video image.

32. The method according to claim 27, further comprising encrypting the electronic image prior to the sending.

33. An electronic storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out a method of storing an electronic image, comprising:

receiving an electronic image;

encoding the electronic image; and

sending the electronic image to a remote electronic media server in near real time.

34. A method of storing video images, comprising:

producing an electronic camera image;

sending the electronic camera image to a remotely located electronic media server via a wireless communication in near real time; and

storing the image at the electronic media server.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the image is still image.

36. The method according to claim 35, further comprising compressing the still image as a JPEG format image before the sending.

37. The method according to claim 34, wherein the image is a moving video image.

38. The method according to claim 37, further comprising compressing the moving video image as an MPEG format image before the sending.

39. The method according to claim 34, wherein the sending comprises sending the image over the Internet.

40. The method according to claim 34, further comprising retrieving the image over the Internet.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein the retrieving comprises retrieving the image as a download.

42. The method according to claim 40, wherein the retrieving comprises retrieving the image as a streaming image.

43. An electronic storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out a method of storing video images, comprising:

producing an electronic camera image;

sending the electronic camera image to a remotely located electronic media server via a wireless communication in near real time; and

storing the image at the electronic media server.