Information processing device, information processing method, and computer program

• US 20080027953A1
• Filed: 12/16/2003
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Morita, Toshihiro, Tanaka, Yoshiki, Takaku, Yoshiyuki, Kikkawa, Norifumi
• Granted Patent: US 8,935,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2457 with adaptation to user needs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/438 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• 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 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia

Abstract

An apparatus and method allowing for high-quality data acquisition and playback processing based on content information transmitted from a server to a client are provided. Property information constituting meta-information corresponding to content-associated attribute information stores data-scheme information on original content held by the server, such as file format information, codec information representing an encoded-data scheme, and resolution information. In response to a content information acquisition request from the client, content information including the data-scheme information on the original content is generated and is transmitted to the client. This structure allows the client to output a content transmission request in which the optimum data scheme is determined based on the data scheme of the original content. Therefore, high-quality data acquisition and playback can be achieved.

Claims

1. A content providing server apparatus comprising:

a storage unit for storing original content, an original data scheme of the original content, and available data schemes of available content converted from the original content into data schemes different from the original data scheme;

a communication unit for receiving a content request from a content requesting client; and

a control unit for extracting the original data scheme from the storage unit upon receiving the content request, generating content information including the original data scheme and, if the original data scheme is not supported by the content requesting client, the available data schemes, and transmitting the content information to the content requesting client via the communication unit.

2. The content providing server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data schemes include at least one of file format, codec, and resolution.

5. The content providing server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content information is included in an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) file.

37. An information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data-scheme information included in the content information generated by the control unit includes information indicating whether the data-scheme information corresponds to the original content.

3-4. -4. (canceled)

6. A content requesting client apparatus comprising:

a communication unit for receiving content information from a content providing server, the content information including an original data scheme of original content, and, if the original data scheme is not supported by the content requesting client apparatus, available data schemes of available content converted from the original content into data schemes different from the original data scheme;

a control unit for generating display information based on the content information, the display information including the original data scheme and the available data schemes and allowing determination of whether each data scheme is supported by the content requesting client apparatus based on a processing function of the content requesting client apparatus; and

a display unit for displaying the display information.

7. The content requesting client apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the data schemes include at least one of file format, codec, and resolution.

10. The content requesting client apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the content information is included in an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) file.

8-9. -9. (canceled)

11. A content requesting client apparatus comprising:

a communication unit for receiving content information from a content providing server, the content information including an original data scheme of original content, and, if the original data scheme is not supported by the content requesting client apparatus, available data schemes of available content converted from the original content into data schemes different from the original data scheme; and

a control unit for determining a transmission data scheme based on the original data scheme, the available data schemes, and a processing function of the content requesting client apparatus, and for transmitting a content request along with the determined transmission data scheme to the content providing server via the communication unit.

12. The content requesting client apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the transmission data scheme is the original data scheme if the content requesting client apparatus supports the original data scheme, and the transmission data scheme is one of the available data schemes close to the original data scheme if the content requesting client apparatus does not support the original data scheme.

13. The content requesting client apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the data schemes include at least one of file format, codec, and resolution.

14. A content providing method comprising:

receiving a content request from a content requesting client;

extracting an original data scheme of original content from a storage unit in a content providing server;

generating content information including the original data scheme and, if the original data scheme is not supported by the content requesting client, available data schemes on available content converted from the original content into data schemes different from the original data scheme; and

transmitting the content information to the content requesting client.

15. The content providing method according to claim 14, wherein the data schemes include at least one of file format, codec, and resolution.

18. The content providing method according to claim 14, wherein the content information is included in an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) file.

16-17. -17. (canceled)

19. A content information displaying method comprising:

receiving content information from a content providing server, the content information including an original data scheme of original content, and, if the original data scheme is not supported by a content requesting client, available data schemes of available content converted from the original content into data schemes different from the original data scheme;

generating display information based on the content information, the display information including the original data scheme and the available data schemes and allowing determination of whether each data scheme is supported by the content requesting client based on a processing function of the content requesting client; and

displaying the display information.

20. The content information displaying method according to claim 19, wherein the data schemes include at least one of file format, codec, and resolution.

23. The content information displaying method according to claim 19, wherein the content information is included in an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) file.

21-22. -22. (canceled)

24. A content requesting method comprising:

receiving content information from a content providing server, the content information including an original data scheme of original content, and, if the original data scheme is not supported by a content requesting client, available data schemes of available content converted from the original content into data schemes different from the original data scheme;

determining a transmission data scheme based on the original data scheme, the available data schemes, and a processing function of the content requesting client; and

transmitting a content request along with the determined transmission data scheme to the content providing server.

25. The content requesting method according to claim 24, wherein the transmission data scheme is the original data scheme if the content requesting client supports the original data scheme, and the transmission data scheme is one of the available data schemes close to the original data scheme if the content requesting client does not support the original data scheme.

26. The content requesting method according to claim 24, wherein the data schemes include at least one of file format, codec, and resolution.

27. A computer-readable medium having a computer program for causing a computer to perform a content providing method, the method comprising:

receiving a content request from a content requesting client;

extracting an original data scheme of original content from a storage unit in a content providing server;

generating content information including the original data scheme and, if the original data scheme is not supported by the content requesting client, available data schemes on available content converted from the original content into data schemes different from the original data scheme; and

transmitting the content information to the content requesting client.

28. A computer-readable medium having a computer program for causing a computer to perform a content information displaying method, the method comprising:

receiving content information from a content providing server, the content information including an original data scheme of original content, and, if the original data scheme is not supported by a content requesting client, available data schemes of available content converted from the original content into data schemes different from the original data scheme;

generating display information based on the content information, the display information including the original data scheme and the available data schemes and allowing determination of whether each data scheme is supported by the content requesting client based on a processing function of the content requesting client; and

displaying the display information.

29. A computer-readable medium having a computer program for causing a computer to perform a content requesting method, the method comprising:

receiving content information from a content providing server, the content information including an original data scheme of original content, and, if the original data scheme is not supported by a content requesting client, available data schemes of available content converted from the original content into data schemes different from the original data scheme;

determining a transmission data scheme based on the original data scheme, the available data schemes, and a processing function of the content requesting client; and

transmitting a content request along with the determined transmission data scheme to the content providing server.

30-35. -35. (canceled)

36. An information processing apparatus serving as a content providing server performing a content transmission process in response to a request from a client, comprising:

a storage unit storing original content and metadata of the original content corresponding to attribute information of the original content;

a data transmission and reception unit performing a data transmission and reception process; and

a control unit extracting the metadata of the original content from the storage unit upon reception of a content information acquisition request from the client, and generating content information to be transmitted to the client based on property information that is an element of the metadata of the original content, wherein

the storage unit stores data-scheme information of the original content held by the content providing server as the property information that is an element of the metadata of the original content;

the storage unit stores data-scheme information of available content converted from the original content as property information associated with the available content; and

the control unit generates the content information including the data-scheme information of the original content and the data-scheme information of the available content held by the content providing server upon reception of the content information acquisition request from the client, and transmits the content information via the data transmission and reception unit.