Content-information management system, content-information management apparatus, content-information management method, and computer program

• US 20060195553A1
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,640,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

A content-information-management system includes a meta-information server which handles meta information of contents on a network on which at least one content-provide device which provides the contents is provided. The meta-information server provides the meta information to a content-use device which uses the contents. The meta-information server discovers the at least one content-provide device on the network, acquires and stores the meta information of the contents provided by each of the at least one discovered content-provide device, and transmits the meta information of the contents according to a request for the contents, the request being made by the content-use device.

Claims

1. A content-information-management system including a meta-information server which handles meta information of contents on a network on which at least one content-provide device which provides the contents is provided, where the meta-information server provides the meta information to a content-use device which uses the contents,

wherein the meta-information server discovers the at least one content-provide device on the network, acquires and stores the meta information of the contents provided by each of the at least one discovered content-provide device, and transmits the meta information of the contents according to a request for the contents, the request being made by the content-use device.

2. The content-information-management system according to claim 1, wherein the meta-information server starts performing device-discovery processing for the at least one content-provide device on the network according to a request for the meta information, the request being transmitted from the content-use device, and tries to acquire the latest meta information.

3. The content-information-management system according to claim 2, wherein where no device-discovery response is transmitted from the content-provide device, the meta-information server transmits meta information that was acquired from the content-provide device in the past and that is stored to the content-use device.

4. The content-information-management system according to claim 1, wherein the meta-information server includes information about a list of the at least one content-provide device, the list information being provided, so as to manage the at least one content-provide device which transmits the device-discovery response for a device-discovery request and the state of the at least one content-provide.

5. The content-information-management system according to claim 4, wherein the meta-information server makes a request for the contents, in response to the content-request made by the content-use device, by determining the content-provide device which provides the contents on the basis of the meta information of the contents for which the content request is made.

6. The content-information-management system according to claim 4, wherein when the meta-information server transmits a request for the contents to the content-provide device, the meta-information server confirms the state of the content-provide device by referring to the list information.

7. The content-information-management system according to claim 4, wherein when a power of the content-provide device which is a destination of the content request is shut down, the meta-information server performs predetermined start processing, and transmits the content request.

8. The content-information-management system according to claim 7, wherein the meta-information server performs the start processing for the content-provide device whose power is shut down via the network.

9. The content-information-management system according to claim 7, wherein where the content-provide device whose power is shut down is ready for infrared communications, the meta-information server performs the start processing by using an infrared-command signal.

10. The content-information-management system according to claim 9, wherein the meta-information server uses an extension cord adapted to transmit an infrared signal, so as to transmit the infrared-command signal.

11. A content-information-management apparatus configured to handle meta information relating to contents on a network on which at least one content-provide device which provides the contents is provided, the content-information-management apparatus comprising:

device-discovery means configured to discover the at least one content-provide device provided on the network;

meta-information-acquisition means configured to acquire and store the meta information of the contents provided by each of the at least one discovered content-provide device;

meta-information-provide means configured to transmit and provide the meta information stored by the meta-information-acquisition means according to a request for the contents, the request being made by a content-use device which uses the contents.

12. The content-information-management apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the device-discovery means starts performing device-discovery processing for the at least one content-provide device on the network according to a request for the meta information, the request being made by the content-use device, and wherein the meta-information-acquisition means tries to acquire the latest meta information from the at least one content-provide device which transmits a response to the device-discovery processing.

13. The content-information-management apparatus according to claim 12, wherein where the at least one content-provide device does not transmit the device-discovery response, the meta-information-provide means transmits meta information that was acquired from the at least one content-provide device in the past and that is stored to the content-use device.

14. The content-information-management apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising information about a list of the at least one content-provide device, the list information being provided, so as to manage the at least one content-provide device which transmits the device-discovery response for a device-discovery request and the state of the at least one content-provide device.

15. The content-information-management apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising content-request means configured to make a request for the contents, in response to the content request made by the content-use device, by determining the content-provide device which provides the contents on the basis of the meta information of the contents for which the content request is made.

16. The content-information-management apparatus according to claim 15, wherein where the content-request means transmits a request for the content to the content-provide device, the content-request means confirms the state of the content-provide device by referring to the list information.

17. The content-information-management apparatus according to claim 16, wherein where a power of the content-provide device for which the content request is made is shut down, the content-request means performs predetermined start processing, and transmits the content request.

18. The content-information-management apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the content-request means performs the start processing for the content-provide device whose power is shut down via the network.

19. The content-information-management apparatus according to claim 17, wherein where the content-provide device whose power is shut down is capable of infrared communications, the content-request means performs the start processing by using an infrared-command signal.

20. The content-information-management apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the content-request means uses an extension cord adapted to transmit an infrared signal, so as to transmit the infrared-command signal.

21. A content-information-management method adapted to handle meta information relating to contents on a network on which at least one content-provide device which provides the contents is provided, the content-information-management method comprising the steps of:

discovering the at least one content-provide device provided on the network;

acquiring and storing the meta information of the contents provided by each of the at least one discovered content-provide device; and

transmitting and providing the meta information stored at the meta-information-acquisition step according to a request for the contents, the request being made by a content-use device which uses the contents.

22. The content-information-management method according to claim 21, wherein the device-discovery processing performed for the at least one content-provide device on the network according to the device-discovery step is started in response to a request for the meta information, the request being made by the content-use device, and

wherein, at the meta-information-acquisition step, a trial is made, so as to acquire the latest meta information from the at least one content-provide device which transmits a response to the device-discovery processing.

23. The content-information-management method according to claim 22, wherein where the at least one content-provide device does not transmit the device-discovery response, the meta information that was acquired from the at least one content-provide device in the past and that is stored is transmitted to the content-use device, at the meta-information-provide step.

24. The content-information-management method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of controlling information about a list of the at least one content-provide device, so as to manage the at least one content-provide device which transmits the device-discovery response for a device-discovery request and the state of the at least one content-provide device on the list.

25. The content-information-management method according to claim 24, further comprising the step of making a request for the contents, in response to the content request made by the content-use device, by determining the content-provide device which provides the contents on the basis of the meta information of the contents for which the content request is made.

26. The content-information-management method according to claim 25, wherein where the content request is transmitted to the content-provide device, the state of the content-provide device is confirmed by referring to the list information, at the content-request step.

27. The content-information-management method according to claim 26, wherein where a power of the content-provide device for which the content request is made is shut down, predetermined start processing is performed, and the content request is transmitted, at the content-request step.

28. The content-information-management method according to claim 27, wherein the start processing is performed via the network for the content-provide device whose power is shut down, at the content-request step.

29. The content-information-management method according to claim 27, wherein where the content-provide device whose power is shut down is capable of infrared communications, the start processing is performed by using an infrared-command signal, at the content-request step.

30. The content-information-management method according to claim 29, wherein an extension cord adapted to transmit an infrared signal is used, so as to transmit the infrared-command signal, at the content-request step.

31. A computer program which is computer readable, the computer program being adapted to make a computer system execute predetermined processing, so as to handle meta information relating to contents on a network on which at least one content-provide device which provides the contents is provided, the predetermined processing includes the step of:

discovering the at least one content-provide device provided on the network;

acquiring and storing the meta information of the contents provided by each of the at least one discovered content-provide device; and

transmitting and providing the meta information stored at the meta-information-acquisition step according to a request for the contents, the request being made by a content-use device which uses the contents.

32. A content-information-management apparatus configured to handle meta information relating to contents on a network on which at least one content-provide device which provides the contents is provided, the content-information-management apparatus comprising:

a device-discovery unit configured to discover the at least one content-provide device provided on the network;

a meta-information-acquisition unit configured to acquire and store the meta information of the contents provided by each of the at least one discovered content-provide device;

a meta-information-provide unit configured to transmit and provide the meta information stored by the meta-information-acquisition unit according to a request for the contents, the request being made by a content-use device which uses the contents.