CONTENT REPRODUCTION APPARATUS, CONTENT RECEIVING APPARATUS, METHOD OF REPRODUCING CONTENT, PROGRAM, AND CONTENT REPRODUCTION SYSTEM

• US 20100220769A1
• Filed: 02/09/2010
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Katsuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,526,484 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/211
• 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 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4852 for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages

Abstract

There is provided a content reproduction apparatus including a reproduction request receiving unit that receives from a first external device conforming to a first communication standard a request to reproduce content data selected by the first external device, a content data obtaining unit that obtains from a second external device conforming to the first communication standard, which stores the content data selected by the first external device, the content data in response to the received request, a content reproduction unit that reproduces the obtained content data, and a data converting unit that converts data which can be transmitted according to the first communication standard into data which can be transmitted according to a second communication standard different than the first communication standard.

Claims

1. A content reproduction apparatus comprising:

a reproduction request receiving unit that receives from a first external device conforming to a first communication standard a request to reproduce content data selected by the first external device;

a content data obtaining unit that obtains from a second external device conforming to the first communication standard, which stores the content data selected by the first external device, the content data in response to the request received by the reproduction request receiving unit;

a content reproduction unit that reproduces the content data obtained by the content data obtaining unit; and

a data converting unit that converts data which can be transmitted according to the first communication standard into data which can be transmitted according to a second communication standard different than the first communication standard.

2. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a converted data transmitting unit that transmits the data which is converted by the data converting unit and can be transmitted according to the second communication standard to a third external device conforming to the second communication standard.

3. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

when the data converting unit receives from the third external device a processing instruction signal for causing the content reproduction apparatus to perform a predetermined processing, the data converting unit converts the processing instruction signal into a signal can be transmitted according to the first communication standard and outputs the signal to the content reproduction unit, and

the content reproduction unit performs the predetermined processing based on the converted processing instruction signal.

4. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

a plurality of the data converting units are provided, and

when there are a plurality of the third external devices, each of the data converting units receives data from the third external devices which are different from each other.

5. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

each of the data converting units can perform data transmission with other data converting units.

6. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the second communication standard realizes the data transmission by radio communication with a 2.4 GHz-band between devices which can communicate according to the second communication standard using a plurality of channels which are paths for transmitting data including audio signals.

7. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the data converting unit receives from the first external device a sound volume control signal for adjusting reproduction sound volume of the content data on the third external device, converts the received sound volume control signal, and outputs the converted sound volume control signal to the converted data transmitting unit, and

the converted data transmitting unit transmits the converted sound volume control signal to the third external device.

8. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the data converting unit determines whether the transmission of the content data is performed using either a first data transmission scheme according to which the audio signals of different sound source types are transmitted on each of the plurality of channels or a second data transmission scheme according to which the audio signals of a same sound source type are transmitted on each of the plurality of channels.

9. A content receiving apparatus comprising:

a content data obtaining unit that obtain content data, being reproduced on a second external device based on control by a first external device conforming to a first communication standard, from the second external device by communication according to a second communication standard different than the first communication standard; and

a content reproduction unit that reproduces the content data obtained by the content data obtaining unit.

10. The content receiving apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a processing instruction signal generating unit that generates a processing instruction signal for causing the second external device to perform a predetermined processing; and

a processing instruction signal transmitting unit that transmits the processing instruction signal generated by the processing instruction signal generating unit to the second external device as a signal conforming to the second communication standard.

11. The content receiving apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the second communication standard realizes the data transmission by radio communication with a 2.4 GHz-band between devices which can communicate according to the second communication standard using a plurality of channels which are paths for transmitting data including audio signals.

12. The content receiving apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a control signal receiving unit that receives, when a sound volume control signal for adjusting reproduction sound volume of the content data on the content receiving apparatus is transmitted from the first external device to the second external device as data which can be transmitted according to the first communication standard, the sound volume control signal which is converted by the second external device into data which can be transmitted according to the second communication standard,

wherein the content reproduction unit adjusts the reproduction sound volume of the content data being reproduced, based on the sound volume control signal received by the control signal receiving unit.

13. A method of reproducing content, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from a first external device conforming to a first communication standard a request to reproduce content data selected by the first external device;

in response to the received request, obtaining from a second external device conforming to the first communication standard, which stores the content data selected by the first external device, the content data;

reproducing the obtained content data;

converting the content data being reproduced into data which can be transmitted according to a second communication standard different than the first communication standard; and

transmitting the converted content data to a third external device conforming to the second communication standard.

14. A method of reproducing content, the method comprising the step of:

when content data being reproduced on a second external device based on control by a first external device conforming to a first communication standard is converted by the second external device into data which can be transmitted according to a second communication standard different than the first communication standard, obtaining the converted content data; and

reproducing the obtained content data.

15. A program for causing a computer to implement:

a reproduction request receiving function of receiving from a first external device conforming to a first communication standard a request to reproduce content data selected by the first external device;

a content data obtaining function of obtaining from a second external device conforming to the first communication standard, which stores the content data selected by the first external device, the content data in response to the request received by the reproduction request receiving function;

a reproducing function of reproducing the content data obtained by the content data obtaining function; and

a data converting function of converting data which can be transmitted according to the first communication standard into data which can be transmitted according to a second communication standard different than the first communication standard.

16. A program for causing a computer to implement:

a content data obtaining function of obtaining, when content data being reproduced on a second external device based on control by a first external device conforming to a first communication standard is converted by the second external device into data which can be transmitted according to a second communication standard different than the first communication standard, the converted content data; and

a reproducing function of reproducing the content data obtained by the content data obtaining function.

17. A content reproduction system comprising:

a content management server including a storage unit that stores predetermined content data; and

a content data providing unit that provides the content data to an external device conforming to a first communication standard;

a reproduction control apparatus including a content data obtaining unit that obtains a list of the content data managed by the content management server; and

a reproduction apparatus control unit that requests the external device conforming to the first communication standard to reproduce content data selected from the obtained list of the content data;

a content reproduction apparatus including a content data obtaining unit that obtains the content data selected by the reproduction control apparatus from the content management server in response to the request from the reproduction control apparatus;

a content reproduction unit that reproduces the obtained content data;

a data converting unit that converts data which can be transmitted according to the first communication standard into data which can be transmitted according to a second communication standard different than the first communication standard; and

a converted data transmitting unit that transmits the data which is converted by the data converting unit and can be transmitted according to the second communication standard to an external device conforming to the second communication standard; and

a content receiving apparatus including a content data obtaining unit that obtains the content data being reproduced by the content reproduction apparatus from the content reproduction apparatus by communication according to the second communication standard; and

a content reproduction unit that reproduces the content data obtained by the content data obtaining unit.