Attribute information acquiring method

• US 20070033192A1
• Filed: 05/19/2004
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Iwatsu, Takeshi, Sakoh, Noriyuki, Murase, Yasuhiro, Moriya, Jun
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

This invention can handle a communicable state restored from disconnection of a communication line. According to the invention, if the communication line is disconnected while a client terminal 2 requests to acquire a contents attribute file 47 that corresponds to a set of contents data stored in a hard disk and receives the file 47 and subsequently the communication line restores a communicable state, the client terminal 2 requests accounting status notification information to a portal server 4 and receives accounting status notification images 15 and 16 transmitted to it in response so that it can be notified if the accounting process had been completed by the time when the communication was disconnected while receiving the contents attribute file 47 and subsequently the communication n line restored a communicable state by accounting status notification information so that it can reliably handle the situation that arises when the communication line restores a communicable state from disconnection.

Claims

1. An attribute information acquisition method, characterized by comprising:

an attribute request information transmission step of transmitting attribute request information requesting contents attribute information for altering attributes of contents data stored in a storage medium to an attribute information providing apparatus;

an attribute information reception step of receiving the contents attribute information transmitted from the attribute information providing apparatus as a result of the transmission of the attribute request information to the attribute information providing apparatus;

a notification request information transmission step of transmitting notification request information of requesting accounting status notification information indicating if the accounting process corresponding to the contents attribute information is completed or not when the communication enabled state with the attribute information providing apparatus is restored after a disconnection of the communication line to the attribute information providing apparatus while receiving the contents attribute information to an accounting status notification apparatus; and

a notification information reception step of receiving the accounting status notification information transmitted from the accounting status notification apparatus as a result of transmitting the notification request information to the accounting status notification apparatus.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises:

a file request information transmission step of transmitting file request information requesting an acquisition/use file containing the contents providing address and the attribute information providing address corresponding to the contents data acquisition request to an acquisition/use information providing apparatus;

an acquisition/use file reception step of receiving the acquisition/use file transmitted from the acquisition/use information providing apparatus in response to the transmission of the file request information to the acquisition/use information providing apparatus and temporarily storing the acquisition/use file;

a contents request information transmission step of accessing the contents providing address contained in the received acquisition/use file and transmitting contents request information requesting the contents data to a contents providing apparatus;

a contents data reception step of receiving the contents data transmitted from the contents providing apparatus in response to the transmission of the contents request information to the contents providing apparatus; and

a contents identification information temporary storage step of temporarily storing contents identification information capable of identifying the contents data after the completion of the reception of the contents data, and

the attribute request information transmission step is executed after temporarily storing the contents identification information.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises:

a contents attribute identification information temporary storage step of temporarily storing contents attribute identification information capable of identifying the contents attribute information after the completion of the reception of the contents attribute information transmitted from the attribute information providing apparatus;

a database registration step of relating the contents data to the contents attribute information and registering them in a database; and

a temporarily stored information erasure step of erasing the temporarily stored contents identification information and the temporarily stored contents attribute identification information after the completion of the registration of the contents data and the contents attribute information in the database.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that it further comprises:

an acquisition/use file erasure step of erasing the acquisition/use file when the communication enabled state is restored for the communication line to the attribute information providing apparatus; and

the notification request information transmission step is executed after the erasure of the acquisition/use file.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that it further comprises:

an acquisition/use file re-reception step of receiving the most updated acquisition/use file as a result of executing the file request information transmission step and the acquisition/use file reception step after the reception of the accounting status notification information in the notification request information reception step and temporarily storing the most updated acquisition/use file; and

a contents identification information detection step of detecting if the contents identification information corresponding to the contents providing address contained in the received most updated acquisition/use file is temporarily stored or not; and

when it is detected in the contents identification information detection step that the contents identification information is not temporarily stored, the method further comprises;

a post-restoration contents request information transmission step of accessing the contents providing address contained in the most updated acquisition/use file and transmitting the contents request information requesting the contents data identifiable by the contents identification information to the contents providing apparatus.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that it further comprises:

.

a contents attribute identification information detection step of further detecting if the contents attribute identification information corresponding to the contents identification information is temporarily stored or not when it is detected in the contents identification information detection step that the contents identification information is temporarily stored; and

a post-restoration attribute request information transmission step of transmitting the attribute request information requesting the contents attribute information identifiably by the contents attribute identification information to the attribute information providing apparatus when it is detected in the contents attribute identification information detection step that the contents attribute identification information is not temporarily stored.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that it further comprises:

a registration detection step of detecting if the contents data and the contents attribute information are registered in the database or not when it is detected in the contents attribute identification information detection step that the contents attribute identification information is temporarily stored; and

a post-restoration database registration step of relating the contents data and the contents attribute information and registering them in the database when it is detected in the registration detection step that the registration of the contents data and the contents attribute information in the database is not completed.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises:

a file request information transmission step of transmitting file request information requesting an acquisition/use file containing a contents acquiring address and an attribute information acquiring address corresponding to an acquisition request for acquiring the contents data to an acquisition/use information providing apparatus;

an acquisition/use file reception step of receiving the acquisition/use file transmitted from the acquisition/use information providing apparatus in response to the transmission of the file request information to the acquisition/use information providing apparatus and temporarily storing the acquisition/use file;

a contents identification information generation step of generating contents identification information corresponding to the contents acquiring address contained in the acquisition/use file;

a contents attribute identification information generation step of generating contents attribute identification information capable of identifying the attribute information acquiring address corresponding to the contents acquiring address;

an identification information temporary storage step of temporarily storing the contents identification information and the contents attribute identification information;

a contents request information transmission step of accessing the contents acquiring address contained in the acquisition/use file and transmitting,contents request information requesting the contents data to the contents providing apparatus after the completion of the temporary storage of the contents identification information and the contents attribute identification information; and

a contents data reception step of receiving the contents data transmitted from the contents providing apparatus in response to the transmission of the contents request information to the contents providing apparatus; and

the attribute request information transmission step is executed after the reception of the contents data in the contents data reception step.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that it further comprises:

a database registration step of relating the contents data to the contents attribute information and registering them in the database after the completion of the reception of the contents attribute information transmitted from the attribute information providing apparatus; and

a temporarily stored information erasure step of erasing the temporarily stored contents identification information and the contents attribute identification information corresponding respectively to the contents data and the contents attribute information after the completion of the registration of the contents data and the contents attribute information in the database.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that it further comprises:

an unerased information detection step of detecting if the temporarily stored contents identification information and the temporarily stored contents attribute identification information have been unerased or not when the communicable state is restored from a state where the communication line to the outside is disconnected;

an erasure step of erasing the received contents data and the received contents attribute information as well as the contents data and the contents attribute information registered in the database if the contents identification information and the contents attribute information are detected unerased in the unerased information detection step according to the unerased contents identification information and the unerased contents attribute information; and

the notification request information transmission step is executed after the completion of the erasure of the contents data and the contents attribute information in the erasure step.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that it further comprises:

an temporarily stored information erasure step of erasing the temporarily stored contents identification information and the temporarily stored contents attribute information after the reception of the accounting status notification information in the notification information reception step; and

a file request information retransmission step of transmitting the file request information to the acquisition/use information providing apparatus once again after the completion of the erasure of the contents identification information and the contents attribute information in the temporarily stored information erasure step.

12. An accounting status notification method, characterized by comprising:

a notification request information reception step of receiving notification request information requesting accounting status notification information indicating if the accounting process corresponding to the contents attribute information for altering the attribute of the contents data stored in a storage medium is completed or not when a communication enabled state is restored with an attribute information providing apparatus after a disconnection of the communication line to the attribute information providing apparatus at the time of receiving the contents attribute information from an attribute information acquisition apparatus for receiving the contents attribute information transmitted from the attribute information providing apparatus as a result of transmitting the attribute request information requesting the contents attribute information to the attribute information providing apparatus; and

a notification information transmission step of transmitting accounting status notification information corresponding to the received notification request information to the attribute information acquisition apparatus.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that;

it further comprises;

an identification information storage step of storing accounting identification information capable of identifying the accounting process corresponding the contents attribute information; and

an identification information transmission step of transmitting the accounting identification information to the attribute information acquisition apparatus, and

the notification request information reception step is adapted to receive the notification request information as the accounting information transmitted from the attribute information acquisition apparatus when the communicable state relative to the attribute information providing apparatus is restored after a disconnection of the communication line to the attribute information providing apparatus at the time of reception of the contents attribute information; and

the notification information transmission step is adapted to specify the accounting status notification information according to the accounting identification information received as the notification request information and transmit the specified accounting status notification information to the attribute information acquisition apparatus.

14. An attribute information acquisition apparatus comprising:

attribute request information transmission means for transmitting attribute request information requesting contents attribute information for altering the attributes of contents data stored in a storage medium to an attribute information providing apparatus;

attribute information reception means for receiving the contents attribute information transmitted from the attribute information providing apparatus as a result of the transmission of the attribute request information to the attribute information providing apparatus;

notification request information transmission means for transmitting notification request information of requesting accounting status notification information indicating if the accounting process corresponding to the contents attribute information is completed or not when the communication enabled state with the attribute information providing apparatus is restored after a disconnection of the communication line to the attribute information providing apparatus while receiving the contents attribute information to an accounting status notification apparatus; and

notification information reception means for receiving the accounting status notification information transmitted from the accounting status notification apparatus as a result of transmitting the notification request information to the accounting status notification apparatus.

15. An accounting status notification apparatus comprising:

notification request information reception means for receiving notification request information requesting accounting status notification information indicating if the accounting process corresponding to the contents attribute information for altering the attribute of the contents data stored in a storage medium is completed or not when a communication enabled state is restored with an attribute information providing apparatus after a disconnection of the communication line to the attribute information providing apparatus at the time of receiving the contents attribute information from an attribute information acquisition apparatus for receiving the contents attribute information transmitted from the attribute information providing apparatus as a result of transmitting the attribute request information requesting the contents attribute information to the attribute information providing apparatus; and

notification information transmission means for transmitting accounting status notification information corresponding to the received notification request information to the attribute information acquisition apparatus.

16. An attribute information acquisition program for causing an information processing apparatus to execute:

an attribute request information transmission step of transmitting attribute request information for altering the attributes of the contents data stored in a storage medium to an attribute information providing apparatus;

an attribute information reception step of receiving the contents attribute information transmitted from the attribute information providing apparatus as a result of the transmission of the attribute request information to the attribute information providing apparatus;

a notification request information transmission step of transmitting notification request information of requesting accounting status notification information indicating if the accounting process corresponding to the contents attribute information is completed or not when the communication enabled state is restored with the attribute information providing apparatus after a disconnection of the communication line to the attribute information providing apparatus while receiving the contents attribute information to an accounting status notification apparatus; and

a notification information reception step of receiving the accounting status notification information transmitted from the accounting status notification apparatus as a result of transmitting the notification request information to the accounting status notification apparatus.

17. An accounting status notification program for causing an information processing apparatus to execute:

a notification request information reception step of receiving notification request information requesting accounting status notification information indicating if the accounting process corresponding to the contents attribute information for altering the attribute of the contents data stored in a storage medium is completed or not when a communication enabled state is restored with an attribute information providing apparatus after a disconnection of the communication line to the attribute information providing apparatus at the time of receiving the contents attribute information from an attribute information acquisition apparatus for receiving the contents attribute information transmitted from the attribute information providing apparatus as a result of transmitting the attribute request information requesting the contents attribute information to the attribute information providing apparatus; and

a notification information transmission step of transmitting accounting status notification information corresponding to the received notification request information to the attribute information acquisition apparatus.