Content output device

• US 20060190577A1
• Filed: 07/20/2004
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Tomohiro
• Application Number:
  US10/564,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20060190577A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355

Abstract

An Internet radio device (10), when an N-th radio station server (200) is selected, receives streaming contents from five N−2-th to N+2-th radio station servers (200, 200, . . . ), writes them respectively into five buffers, and reads only the streaming content from the N-th radio station server (200) via the buffer and reproduces it. After that, when a station change operation is performed for a change to a neighboring station, that is, the N−1-th or N+1-th radio station server (200), the Internet radio device (10) reads only the streaming content from the N−1-th or N+1-th radio station server (200) via the buffer and reproduces it.

Claims

1. A content output apparatus that outputs any one of N contents (N:

2 or any larger integer) individually transmitted through N channels registered in a predetermined order, the content output apparatus comprising;

a writing means for respectively writing M contents (M;

an arbitrary integer that is 2 or larger and N or smaller) transmitted through M channels that exist in a predetermined order and include a desired channel into M buffer memories;

a reading means for reading a content transmitted through said desired channel from any one of said M buffer memories; and

an accepting means for accepting changes of said desired channel in said predetermined order.

2. A content output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said writing means includes an updating means for updating any one of said M buffer memories in response to the change of said desired channel.

3. A content output apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a holding means for holding a table in which said N channels are registered in said predetermined sequence; and

a specifying means for specifying said M channels by reference to said table held by said holding means.

4. A content output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said contents are steaming contents transmitted in real time.

5. A content output control program to be executed by a content output apparatus that outputs any one of N contents (N:

2 or any larger integer) individually transmitted through N channels registered in a predetermined order, the content output control program comprising;

a writing step of respectively writing M contents (M;

an arbitrary integer that is 2 or larger and N or smaller) transmitted through M channels that exist in a predetermined order and include a desired channel into M buffer memories;

a reading step of reading a content transmitted through said desired channel from any one of said M buffer memories; and

an accepting step of accepting changes of said desired channel in said predetermined order.

6. A content output control method to be practiced by a content output apparatus that outputs any one of N contents (N:

2 or any larger integer) individually transmitted through N channels registered in a predetermined sequence, the content output control method comprising;

a writing step of respectively writing M contents (M;

an arbitrary integer that is 2 or larger and N or smaller) transmitted through M channels that exist in a predetermined order and include a desired channel into M buffer memories;

a reading step of reading a content transmitted through said desired channel from any one of said M buffer memories; and

an accepting step of accepting changes of said desired channel in said predetermined order.

7. A content output control method according to claim 6, wherein said reading step includes a changing step of, when the change of said desired channel is accepted in said accepting step, changing a buffer memory from which a content is to be read.

8. A content output control method according to claim 6, wherein said writing step includes a replacing step of, when the change of said desired channel is accepted in said accepting step, replacing any one of said M channels with any one of channels that are included in said N channels and are not included in said M channels.