Content Distributing System and Content Receiving and Reproducing Device

• US 20080250095A1
• Filed: 03/03/2005
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Denso IT Laboratory, Inc. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso IT Laboratory, Inc. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Mizuno, Nobuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,352,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A technology that makes a program line-up related to contents distributed to a user side, depending on various conditions, preferences, and communication environments of the user side that views and listens to the content is disclosed. According to the technology, an on-board device (content receiving and reproducing device) 1 receives, from a service server 5, potential content list information of contents that can be distributed from a content server 7. The on-board device 1 sorts appropriate content from among the contents in the potential content list information and decide on a reproducing order of the contents, based on conditions of the user side, such as user preferences and vehicle conditions, conditions related to an environment on the user side, such as the communication environment, and conditions related to the contents, such as the genre of the content. The on-board device 1 creates program table information (timetable) and transmits the program table information to the content server. As a result, reception and reproduction of the contents from the content server can be performed in adherence to the program table information.

Claims

1. A content distributing system in which a content server distributing contents, a service server having potential content list information including identification information of the contents that can be distributed from the content server, and a content receiving and reproducing device on a user side receiving the contents from the content server and reproducing the received content are connected by a network, the content distributing system wherein:

the content receiving and reproducing device

receives the potential content list information indicating contents that can be distributed from the content server to the content receiving and reproducing device from the service server,

sorts the contents to be received and reproduced from the contents written in the received potential content list information and decides on a reproducing order of the contents, based on at least one of conditions of the user side, conditions related to an environment on the user side, and conditions related to the contents,

creates program table information, and

transmits the program table information to the service server;

the service server gives an instruction for content distribution to the content server, based on the program table information received from the content receiving and reproducing device;

the content server distributes the contents directly or via the service server to the content receiving and reproducing device; and

the content receiving and reproducing device receives and reproduces the contents in adherence to the program table information.

4. The content distributing system according to claim 1, wherein:

the service server sorts the contents depending on preference information of the user side acquired in advance from the user side and creates the potential content list information based on the sorted results.

5. The content distributing system according to claim 1, wherein:

the content server and the service server are formed from a single server group.

2. A content distributing system in which a content server distributing contents, a service server having potential content list information including identification information of the contents that can be distributed from the content server, and a content receiving and reproducing device on a user side receiving the contents from the content server and reproducing the received contents are connected by a network, the content distributing system wherein:

the content receiving and reproducing device

receives the potential content list information indicating the contents that can be distributed from the content server to the content receiving and reproducing device from the service server,

sorts the contents to be received and reproduced from the contents written in the received potential content list information and decides on a reproducing order of the content, based on at least one of conditions of the user side, conditions related to an environment on the user side, and conditions related to the contents,

creates program table information, and

transmits the program table information to the content server;

the content server distributes the contents to the content receiving and reproducing device in adherence to the program table information; and

the content receiving and reproducing device receives and reproduces the contents in adherence to the program table information.

20. The content distributing system according to claim 2, wherein:

the service server sorts the contents depending on preference information of the user side acquired in advance from the user side and creates the potential content list information based on the sorted results.

21. The content distributing system according to claim 2, wherein:

the content server and the service server are formed from a single server group.

3. A content distributing system in which a content server distributing contents, a service server performing management related to the distribution of the contents, and a content receiving and reproducing device on a user side holding, in advance, potential content list information indicating the contents that can be distributed by the content server, receiving the contents from the content server, and reproducing the received contents are connected by a network, the content distributing system wherein:

the content receiving and reproducing device

sorts the contents to be received and reproduced from the contents written in the received potential content list information and decides on a reproducing order of the contents, based on at least one of conditions of the user side, conditions related to an environment on the user side, and conditions related to the contents,

creates program table information, and

transmits the program table information to the service server;

the service server gives an instruction for content distribution to the content server, based on the program table information received from the content receiving and reproducing device;

the content server distributes the contents directly or via the service server to the content receiving and reproducing device; and

the content receiving and reproducing device receives and reproduces the contents in adherence to the program table information.

22. The content distributing system according to claim 3, wherein:

the service server sorts the contents depending on preference information of the user side acquired in advance from the user side and creates the potential content list information based on the sorted results.

23. The content distributing system according to claim 3, wherein:

the content server and the service server are formed from a single server group.

6. A content distributing system in which a content server distributing contents and a content receiving and reproducing device on a user side holding, in advance, potential content list information indicating the contents that can be distributed by the content server, receiving the contents from the content server, and reproducing the received contents are connected by a network, the content distributing system wherein:

the content receiving and reproducing device

sorts the contents to be received and reproduced from the contents written in the received potential content list information and decides on a reproducing order of the contents, based on at least one of conditions of the user side, conditions related to an environment on the user side, and conditions related to the contents,

creates program table information, and

transmits the program table information to the content server;

the content server distributes the contents to the content receiving and reproducing device in adherence to the program table information; and

the content receiving and reproducing device receives and reproduces the contents in adherence to the program table information.

7. The content distributing system according to claim 6, wherein:

when at least one of the conditions of the user side, the conditions related to an environment on the user side, and the conditions related to the contents changes, the content receiving and reproducing device creates new program table information, and receives and reproduces the contents in adherence to the newly created program table information.

8. A content receiving and reproducing device of a user side that receives content from a content distribution side and reproduces the received content, comprising:

a potential content list information receiving or storing means that receives potential content list information from the content distribution side indicating contents that can be distributed from the content distribution side or that stores, in advance, potential content list information indicating contents that can be distributed from the content distribution side;

a program line-up means that sorts the contents to be received and reproduced from the contents written in the received potential content list information and decides on a reproducing order of the contents, based on at least one of conditions of the user side, conditions related to an environment on the user side, and conditions related to the contents, and creates program table information;

a program table information transmitting means that transmits the program table information created by the program line-up means to the content distribution side;

a content receiving means that receives the contents distributed from the content distribution side in adherence to the program table information; and

a content reproducing means that reproduces the content.

10. The content receiving and reproducing device according to claim 8, comprising:

a speech synthesizing means that converts text data into audio data,

wherein, when the text data is received as the contents, the speech synthesizing means converts the received text data into the audio data and audio output is performed.

11. The content receiving and reproducing device according to claim 10, wherein:

when the text data is converted into the audio data, content of the text data is converted into suitable phrasing, with reference to at least one of conditions of the user side, conditions related to an environment on the user side, and conditions related to the contents.

12. The content receiving and reproducing device according to claim 8, comprising one of either:

a temporary storing means that temporarily stores the contents received from the content server,

wherein, the content reproducing means reproduces the contents stored in the temporarily storing means; and

a local content storing means that stores the contents in advance,

wherein the content reproducing means reproduces the contents stored in the local content storing means.

13. The content receiving and reproducing device according to claim 8, wherein:

the program line-up means sorts the contents through probabilistic analysis using a Bayesian network.

14. The content receiving and reproducing device according to claim 8, wherein:

the content receiving and reproducing device is connected to a navigation device having a route guidance function to allow transmission and reception of data with the navigation device, or

the content receiving and reproducing device is integrated with the navigation device as a function of the navigation device.

15. The content receiving and reproducing device according to claim 8, wherein:

when the program table information is created, the program line-up means refers to an estimated required time until a destination is reached acquired from the route guidance function, and decides on a length of time of a content to be received and reproduced or a total length of time of a plurality of contents.

16. The content receiving and reproducing device according to claim 8, wherein:

when the program table information is created, the program line-up means refers to route information to a destination acquired from the route guidance function, and sorts the contents and decides the reproducing order depending on a location that is predicted by the route information to be passed.

17. The content receiving and reproducing device according to claim 8, wherein:

when the program table information is created, the program line-up means refers to route information to a destination acquired from the route guidance function, infers a communication environment of a location that is predicted by the route information to be passed, and sorts the contents and decides the reproducing order depending on the inferred result.

18. The content receiving and reproducing device according to claim 8, comprising:

a local content storing means that stores the contents that can be reproduced,

wherein, when the program table information is created, the contents are sorted from both the contents stored in the local content storing means and the contents written in the potential content list information.

19. The content receiving and reproducing device according to claim 8, comprising:

a local content storing means that stores the contents that can be reproduced,

wherein, when communication with the content server is disconnected and the contents cannot be received and reproduced, the contents stored in the local content storing means are reproduced.

9. (canceled)