Content providing system, content providing server, information processing apparatus, and computer program

• US 20060026182A1
• Filed: 07/08/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takeda, Takashi, Sukigara, Ryu, Ohshige, Yoichi, Koresawa, Akio
• Granted Patent: US 7,574,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A content providing system is disclosed, which includes: a content providing server that is capable of delivering content data and information related thereto through a communication network; and a client that is capable of downloading the content data and the information related thereto through the communication network, wherein a management unit manages meta information of the respective content data as content item information, manages one or plural pieces of content item information as content program information in association with one another, and manages one or plural pieces of content program information as a content program catalogue, one content data and meta information thereof can be referred to in plural pieces of content item information, one piece of content item information can be referred to in plural pieces of content program information, and one piece of content program information can be referred to in plural content program catalogues, and when a term of availability of the content program catalogue has expired, the management unit deletes content program information included in the content program catalogue and/or content item information included in the content program information and/or content data included in the content item information.

Claims

1. A content providing system comprising:

a content providing server that is capable of delivering content data and information related thereto through a communication network; and

a client that is capable of downloading the content data and the information related thereto through the communication network, wherein

a management unit manages meta information of the respective content data as content item information, manages one or plural pieces of content item information as content program information in association with one another, and manages one or plural pieces of content program information as a content program catalogue,

one content data and meta information thereof can be referred to in plural pieces of content item information, one piece of content item information can be referred to in plural pieces of content program information, and one piece of content program information can be referred to in plural content program catalogues, and

when a term of availability of the content program catalogue has expired, the management unit deletes content program information included in the content program catalogue and/or content item information included in the content program information and/or content data included in the content item information.

2. A content providing server that is capable of delivering content data and information related thereto through a communication network together with a management unit that manages the content data and the information, wherein

the management unit manages meta information of the respective content data as content item information, manages one or plural pieces of content item information as content program information in association with one another, and manages one or plural pieces of content program information as a content program catalogue,

one content data and meta information thereof can be referred to in plural pieces of content item information, one piece of content item information can be referred to in plural pieces of content program information, and one piece of content program information can be referred to in plural content program catalogues, and

when a term of availability of the content program catalogue has expired, the management unit deletes content program information included in the content program catalogue and/or content item information included in the content program information and/or content data included in the content item information.

3. A content providing server according to claim 2, wherein, when the content program information to be deleted included in the content program catalogue and/or the content item information to be deleted and/or the content data to be deleted is referred to from other content program catalogues and/or content program information and/or content item information and/or content data, the management unit suspends deletion of the content program information and/or the content item information and/or the content data being referred to.

4. An information processing apparatus comprising a management unit that manages content data and information related thereto delivered through a communication network, wherein

the management unit manages meta information of the respective content data as content item information, manages one or plural pieces of content item information as content program information in association with one another, and manages one or plural pieces of content program information as a content program catalogue,

one content data and meta information thereof can be referred to in plural pieces of content item information, one piece of content item information can be referred to in plural pieces of content program information, and one piece of content program information can be referred to in plural content program catalogues, and

when a term of availability of the content program catalogue has expired, the management unit deletes content program information included in the content program catalogue and/or content item information included in the content program information and/or content data included in the content item information.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, when the content program information to be deleted included in the content program catalogue and/or the content item information to be deleted and/or the content data to be deleted is referred to from other content program catalogues and/or content program information and/or content item information and/or content data, the management unit suspends deletion of the content program information and/or the content item information and/or the content data being referred to.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a preference area (a My Library) in which desired content program information can be registered, wherein

when a term of availability of a content program catalogue has expired, the management unit deletes content program information and/or content item information included in the content program information and/or content data included in the content item information included in the content program catalogue, a term of availability of which has expired, among the content program information registered in the preference area (the My Library).

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, when the content program information to be deleted and/or the content item information to be deleted and/or the content data to be deleted included in the content program catalogue is referred to from other content program catalogues and/or content program information and/or content item information and/or content data, the management unit suspends deletion of the content program information and/or the content item information and/or the content data being referred to.

8. A computer program for managing a content and information related thereto, which are downloaded to a storage, with a management unit incorporated in an image processing apparatus, wherein

the management unit manages meta information of the respective content data as content item information, manages one or plural pieces of content item information as content program information in association with one another, and manages one or plural pieces of content program information as a content program catalogue,

one content data and meta information thereof can be referred to in plural pieces of content item information, one piece of content item information can be referred to in plural pieces of content program information, and one piece of content program information can be referred to in plural content program catalogues, and

when a term of availability of the content program catalogue has expired, the management unit deletes content program information included in the content program catalogue and/or content item information included in the content program information and/or content data included in the content item information.

9. A computer program according to claim 8, wherein, when the content program information to be deleted and/or the content item information to be deleted and/or the content data to be deleted included in the content program catalogue is referred to from other content program catalogues and/or content program information and/or content item information and/or content data, the computer program causes the management unit to suspend deletion of the content program information and/or the content item information and/or the content data being referred to.