Data stream-distribution system and method therefor

• US 20080147874A1
• Filed: 02/06/2008
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoneda, Michiaki, Yoritate, Masataka
• Granted Patent: US 7,526,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A mutual recognition process is performed in step S1. When it is determined in step S2 that a request for sending a list of musical pieces has been received, the list of musical pieces is sent in step S3. When a request for sending audio data has been received in step S4, a transfer-rate measurement process is executed in step S5. When it is determined according to the transfer rate in step S6 that the audio can be transmitted, the corresponding compressed audio data is extracted in step S7, the compressed audio data is decoded to generate linear PCM data suited to the transfer rate in step S8, and transmitted in step S9. When the audio data cannot be transmitted, an error message is transmitted in step S10. The present invention can be applied, for example, to a server for distributing audio data and an audio player terminal for reproducing the distributed audio data.

Claims

1. An information processing method for stream-distributing data from an information processing apparatus to an information processing terminal, comprising steps of:

receiving, from the information processing terminal, a first request of sending a data list;

in response to the first request, sending the data list to the information processing terminal;

receiving, from the information processing terminal, a second request of sending selected data selected by a user from the data list;

in response to the second request, determining a data transfer rate of data transferred between the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal;

determining, based on the determined data transfer rate, whether the selected data is allowed to be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal;

if it is determined that the selected data is allowed to be stream-distributed, stream-distributing the selected data to the information processing terminal; and

if it is determined that the selected data is not allowed to be stream-distributed, sending an error message to the information processing terminal.

2. The information processing method of claim 1, wherein the selected data comprises compressed data, further comprising steps of:

reading the compressed data; and

decompressing the compressed data to generate decompressed data in accordance with the determined data transfer rate, wherein the decompressed data is suitable to be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal.

3. The information processing apparatus configured to stream-distribute data to an information processing terminal, comprising:

a determination element configured to perform acts of;

receiving, from the information processing terminal, a first request of sending a data list;

in response to the first request, sending the data list to the information processing terminal;

receiving, from the information processing terminal, a second request of sending selected data selected by a user from the data list;

in response to the second request, determining a data transfer rate of data transferred between the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal; and

determining, based on the determined data transfer rate, whether the selected data is allowed to be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal; and

a transmission element configured to perform acts of;

if it is determined that the selected data is allowed to be stream-distributed, stream-distributing the selected data to the information processing terminal; and

if it is determined that the selected data is not allowed to be stream-distributed, sending an error message to the information processing terminal.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the selected data comprises compressed data, further comprising a data decompression element configured to perform acts of:

reading the compressed data; and

decoding the compressed data to generate decompressed data in accordance with the determined data transfer rate, wherein the decompressed data is suitable to be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal.

5. At least one computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform a method for stream-distributing data from an information processing apparatus to an information processing terminal, the method comprising:

receiving, from the information processing terminal, a first request of sending a data list;

in response to the first request, sending the data list to the information processing terminal;

receiving, from the information processing terminal, a second request of sending selected data selected by a user from the data list;

in response to the second request, determining a data transfer rate of data transferred between the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal;

determining, based on the determined data transfer rate, whether the selected data is allowed to be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal;

if it is determined that the selected data is allowed to be stream-distributed, stream-distributing the selected data to the information processing terminal; and

if it is determined that the selected data is not allowed to be stream-distributed, sending an error message to the information processing terminal.

6. An information processing method for receiving data stream-distributed from an information processing apparatus to an information processing terminal, comprising:

sending a first signal of requesting the information processing apparatus to send a data list;

receiving the data list from the information processing apparatus;

determining that selected data to be reproduced has been selected from the data list;

sending a second signal of requesting the information processing apparatus to send the selected data;

determining a data transfer rate of data transferred between the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal;

determining whether the selected data sent by the information processing apparatus has been received;

if it determined that the selected data sent by the information processing apparatus has been received, reproducing the received selected data; and

if it determined that the selected data sent by the information processing apparatus has not been received, receiving an error message from the information processing apparatus.

7. The information processing method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying the data list; and

receiving an input from a user to select data from the displayed data list.

8. The information processing method of claim 6, further comprising displaying the received error message.

9. The information processing method of claim 8, if it determined that the selected data sent by the information processing apparatus has been received, further comprising:

executing a digital-to-analog conversion of the selected data in accordance with a header information of the selected data to generate analog data; and

reproducing the analog data.

10. An information processing terminal for receiving and reproducing data stream-distributed by an information processing apparatus, the information processing terminal configured to perform acts of:

sending, by a transmission element, a first signal of requesting the information processing apparatus to send a data list;

receiving, by a first receiving element, the data list from the information processing apparatus;

determining that data to be reproduced has been selected from the data list;

sending, by the transmission element, a second signal of requesting the information processing apparatus to send the selected data;

determining, by a determination element, a data transfer rate of data transferred between the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal;

determining whether the selected data sent by the information processing apparatus has been received;

if it determined that the selected data sent by the information processing apparatus has been received, reproducing, by a reproduction element, the received selected data; and

if it determined that the selected data sent by the information processing apparatus has not been received, receiving, by a second receiving element, an error message from the information processing apparatus.

11. The information processing terminal of claim 10, further comprising a display element configured to:

display the data list; and

receive an input from a user to select data from the displayed data list.

12. The information processing terminal of claim 11, wherein the display element is configured to display the error message.

13. The information processing terminal of claim 10, further comprising a digital-to-analog conversion element configured to execute a digital-to-analog conversion of the received selected data in accordance with a header information of the received selected data to generate analog data, wherein the reproduction element is configured to reproduce the analog data.

14. At least one computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform a method for receiving and reproducing data stream-distributed by an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

sending a first signal of requesting the information processing apparatus to send a data list;

receiving the data list from the information processing apparatus;

determining that data to be reproduced has been selected from the data list;

sending a second signal of requesting the information processing apparatus to send the selected data;

determining a data transfer rate of data transferred between the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal;

determining whether the selected data sent by the information processing apparatus has been received;

if it determined that the selected data sent by the information processing apparatus has been received, reproducing the received selected data; and

if it determined that the selected data sent by the information processing apparatus has not been received, receiving an error message from the information processing apparatus.

15. An information processing system comprising an information processing terminal and an information processing apparatus, wherein the information processing apparatus stream-distributes data to the information processing terminal and the information processing terminal receives and reproduces the stream-distributed data, and wherein

the information processing apparatus comprises:

a determination element configured to perform acts of;

receiving, from the information processing terminal, a first request of sending a data list;

in response to the first request, sending the data list to the information processing terminal;

receiving, from the information processing terminal, a second request of sending selected data selected by a user from the data list;

in response to the second request, determining a data transfer rate of data transferred between the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal; and

determining, based on the determined data transfer rate, whether the selected data is allowed to be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal; and

a transmission element configured to perform acts of;

if it is determined that the selected data is allowed to be stream-distributed, stream-distributing the selected data to the information processing terminal; and

if it is determined that the selected data is not allowed to be stream-distributed, sending an error message to the information processing terminal; and

the information processing terminal comprises;

a receiving element configured to;

if it is determined that the selected data is allowed to be stream-distributed, receive the stream-distributed selected data from the information processing apparatus; and

if it is determined that the selected data is not allowed to be stream-distributed, receive the error message sent by the information processing apparatus; and

a reproduction element configured to reproduce the stream-distributed selected data received by the receiving element.

16. An information processing system of claim 15, wherein the stream-distributed selected data comprises compressed data, and wherein the information processing apparatus further comprises a decompression element configured to:

read the compressed data; and

decompress the compressed data to generate decompressed data in accordance with the determined data transfer rate, wherein the decompressed data is suitable to be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal.

17. An information processing system comprising an information processing terminal and an information processing apparatus, wherein the information processing apparatus stream-distributes data to the information processing terminal and the information processing terminal receives and reproduces the stream-distributed data, wherein

the information processing terminal is configured to perform acts of:

sending, by a transmission element, a first signal of requesting the information processing apparatus to send a data list;

receiving, by a first receiving element, the data list from the information processing apparatus;

determining that data to be reproduced has been selected from the data list;

sending, by the transmission element, a second signal of requesting the information processing apparatus to send the selected data;

determining, by a determination element, a data transfer rate of data transferred between the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal;

determining whether the selected data sent by the information processing apparatus has been received;

if it determined that the selected data sent by the information processing apparatus has been received, reproducing, by a reproduction element, the received selected data; and

if it determined that the selected data sent by the information processing apparatus has not been received, receiving, by a second receiving element, an error message from the information processing apparatus; and

wherein

the information processing apparatus comprises;

a determination element configured to perform acts of;

receiving the first signal;

in response to the first request, sending the data list to the information processing terminal;

receiving the second signal;

in response to the second signal, determining the data transfer rate of data transferred between the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal; and

determining, based on the determined data transfer rate, whether the selected data is allowed to be stream-distributed to the information processing terminal; and

a transmission element configured to perform acts of;

if it is determined that the selected data is allowed to be stream-distributed, stream-distributing the selected data to the information processing terminal; and

if it is determined that the selected data is not allowed to be stream-distributed, sending the error message to the information processing terminal.