STREAMING DELIVERY METHOD AND SYSTEM, SERVER SYSTEM, TERMINAL, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM

• US 20080147873A1
• Filed: 12/18/2007
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: MATSUMOTO, KIYOTO
• Granted Patent: US 8,078,748 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• 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 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82

Abstract

Video contents are delivered by a streaming method via a network to a client from a server with first and second storage areas. The method includes the steps of: delivering a first video content stored in the first storage area from the server to start playback thereof on the client; delivering a list of titles of the video contents stored in the second storage area from the server to be displayed on the client; changing the video content group stored in the second storage area; delivering data for updating the list from the server to be displayed the updated list on the client; receiving an input designating a second video content from the updated list at the client and notifying the server of the designation; and delivering the content B from the server in response to the notification designating the content B to be played back on the client.

Claims

1. A method of delivering video contents to a client from a server system comprising one or a plurality of servers via a network by streaming, wherein the server system comprises a first storage area and a second storage area, and the streaming delivery method comprises the steps of:

delivering to the client a first video content stored in the first storage area from the server system to start playback thereof on the client;

delivering to the client a list of title information of at least one of video contents stored in the second storage area from the server system to display the list on the client;

changing one or a plurality of video contents stored in the second storage area;

delivering data for updating the list from the server system to display the updated list on the client;

receiving at the client an input of a designation to designate one of the video contents in the updated list as a second video content;

transmitting the designation from the client to the server system; and

delivering the second video content from the server system to the client in response to the designation to play back the second video content on the client.

2. The streaming delivery method according to claim 1, wherein:

the playback of the first video content on the client is interrupted in response to the input; and

the playback of the first video content is restarted on the client in response to completion of the playback of the second video content on the client and according to a position where the interruption has occurred in the first video content.

3. The streaming delivery method according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the video contents stored in the second storage area is related with attribute information; and

the video contents in the list are selected from among the video contents stored in the second storage area based on the attribute information.

4. The streaming delivery method according to claim 3, wherein:

the attribute information comprises time attribute information; and

the selection is made based on the time attribute information.

5. The streaming delivery method according to claim 3, wherein:

the attribute information comprises classification attribute information indicating a category that the video content belongs to; and

the selection is made based on the classification attribute information.

6. A server system for delivering video contents to a client via a network by streaming, comprising:

a first and a second storage area;

a streaming delivery controller that delivers video contents stored in the first and second storage areas to the client via the network by streaming;

a list generator that generates a list of title information of at least one of the video contents stored in the second storage area;

a list transmitter that delivers the list to the client via the network; and

a list update unit for generating data for updating the list and delivering the same to the client via the network,

wherein while a first video content stored in the first storage area is delivered to the client, delivery of a second video content contained in the list updated by the list update unit is started in response to a request that is sent from the client to designate the second video content.

7. The server system according to claim 6, wherein:

the delivery of the first video content to the client is interrupted in response to the request; and

the delivery of the first video content is restarted in response to completion of the playback of the second video content at the client and according to the position at which the playback of the first video content is interrupted.

8. The server system according to claim 6, wherein:

each of the video contents stored in the second storage area is related with attribute information; and

the video contents in the list are selected from among the video contents stored in the second storage area based on the attribute information.

9. The server system according to claim 8, wherein:

the attribute information comprises time attribute information; and

the selection is made based on the time attribute information.

10. The server system according to claim 8, wherein:

the attribute information comprises classification attribute information indicating a category that the video content belongs to; and

the selection is made based on the classification attribute information.

11. A server system for delivering video contents to a client via a network by streaming, comprising:

first and a second storing means;

means for controlling streaming delivery to deliver video contents stored in the first and second storage areas to the client via the network by streaming;

means for generating a list of title information of at least one of the video contents stored in the second storage area;

means for delivering the list to the client via the network; and

means for generating data for updating the list and delivering the same to the client via the network,

wherein while a first video content stored in the first storage area is delivered to the client, delivery of a second video content contained in the list updated by the list update unit is started in response to a request that is sent from the client to designate the second video content.

12. A computer program executed by a computer to perform a method of delivering a video content to a client via a network, the method comprising the steps of:

delivering to a client a first video content stored in a first storage area accessible to the computer;

delivering to the client a list of title information of at least one of video contents stored in a second storage area accessible to the computer to display the list on the client;

delivering to the client data for updating the list in accordance with change in the video contents stored in the second storage area;

receiving from the client a request that designates one of the second video contents in the updated list; and

delivering to the client the second video content in response to the request.

13. The computer program according to claim 12, the method further comprising the steps of:

interrupting the delivery of the first video content in response to the request; and

restarting the delivery of the first video content to the client in response to completion of the playback of the second video content at the client and according to a position where the playback of the first video content is interrupted.

14. The computer program according to claim 12, wherein:

each of the video contents stored in the second storage area is related with attribute information; and

the video contents in the list are selected from among the video contents stored in the second storage area based on the attribute information.

15. The computer program according to claim 14, wherein:

the attribute information comprises time attribute information; and

the selection is made based on the time attribute information.

16. The computer program according to claim 14, wherein:

the attribute information comprises classification attribute information indicating a category that the video content belongs to; and

the selection is made based on the classification attribute information.

17. A terminal receiving delivery of video contents from a server system comprising at least one server via a network by streaming, the terminal comprising:

a receiver that receives from the server system comprising a first and a second storage area delivery of a first video content stored in the first storage area to play back the first video content;

a receiver that receives from the server system delivery of a list of title information of at least one video content stored in the second storage area to display the list;

a receiver that receives from the server system delivery of data for updating the list to display the updated list;

an input device that receives an input designating a second video content from the updated list to deliver a request of the second video content to the server system; and

a player that plays back the second video content delivered from the server system in response to the request.

18. The terminal according to claim 17, wherein:

the playback of the first video content is interrupted in response to the input; and

the playback of the first video content is restarted in response to completion of the playback of the second video content and according to a position where the playback of the first video content has been interrupted.

19. The terminal according to claim 17, wherein:

each of the video contents stored in the second storage area is related with attribute information; and

the video contents in the list are selected from among the video contents stored in the second storage area based on the attribute information.

20. The terminal according to claim 19, wherein:

the attribute information comprises time attribute information; and

the selection is made based on the time attribute information.

21. The terminal according to claim 19, wherein:

the attribute information comprises classification attribute information indicating a category that the video content belongs to; and

the selection is made based on the classification attribute information.

22. A terminal receiving delivery of video contents from a server system comprising at least one server via a network by streaming, the terminal comprising:

means for receiving from the server system comprising a first and a second storage area delivery of a first video content stored in the first storage area to play back the first video content;

means for receiving from the server system delivery of a list of title information of video contents stored in the second storage area to display the list;

means for receiving from the server system delivery of data for updating the list and displaying the updated list;

means for receiving an input designating a second video content from the updated list to deliver a request of the second video content to the server system; and

means for playing back the second video content delivered from the server system in response to the request.

23. A computer program executed by a computer to perform a method of receiving video contents from a server system that comprises at least one server and delivers video contents via a network to clients by streaming, wherein the server system comprises a first storage area and a second storage area, and the method comprises:

receiving from the server system delivery of a first video content stored in the first storage area to play back the received first video content;

receiving from the server system delivery of a list of title information of video contents stored in the second storage area to display the list;

receiving from the server system delivery of data for updating the list to display the updated list;

receiving an input designating a second video content from the updated list to deliver a request of the second video content to the server system; and

playing back the second video content delivered by the server system in response to the request.

24. The computer program according to claim 23, the method further comprising:

interrupting the playback of the first video content in response to the input; and

restarting the playback of the first video content in response to completion of the playback of the second video content and according to a position where the playback of the first video content has been interrupted.

25. The computer program according to claim 23, wherein:

each of the video contents stored in the second storage area is related with attribute information; and

the video contents in the list are selected from among the video contents stored in the second storage area based on the attribute information.

26. The computer program according to claim 25, wherein:

the attribute information comprises time attribute information; and

the selection is made based on the time attribute information.

27. The computer program according to claim 25, wherein:

the attribute information comprises classification attribute information indicating a category that the video content belongs to; and

the selection is made based on the classification attribute information.

28. A streaming delivery system for delivering video contents to a client via a network by streaming, comprising at least one server and at least one terminal, wherein

the server comprises:

a first and a second storage area;

a streaming delivery controller that delivers video contents stored in the first and second storage areas to the client via the network by streaming;

a list generator that generates a list of title information of at least one of the video contents stored in the second storage area;

a list transmitter that delivers the list to the client via the network; and

a list update unit for generating data for updating the list and delivering the same to the client via the network, and

the terminal comprises;

a receiver that receives from the server delivery of the first video content stored in the first storage area to play back the first video content;

a receiver that receives from the server delivery of the list to display the list;

a receiver that receives from the server delivery of the data for updating the list to display an updated list;

an input device that receives an input designating a second video content from the updated list to deliver a request of the second video content to the server system; and

a player that plays back the second video content delivered from the server system in response to the request.