Multimedia information distributing system

• US 5,826,024 A
• Filed: 09/02/1997
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tamura, Mitsuo, Higashimura, Mamoru, Uenoyama, Tsutomu, Inagaki, Akira, Kato, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Donaghue, Larry D.
• Application Number:
  US08/921,598
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.44, 395/200.43, 395/200.47, 395/200.57, 707/104, 707/10, 345/327, 345/328, 345/302, 348/7-15
• US Class Current: 709/214
• 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: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• 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 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A multimedia information distributing system for accumulating multimedia title data to supply title data in accordance with a demand from a client. The multimedia information distributing system is composed of clients and a server which are in communicable relation to each other. Each client includes a material and scenario storage information converting section having a conversion rule between an environment depending upon the client and an internal environment of a title server to convert material position information into a format agreeing with each environment. The client transmits material storage information and a title comprising materials and scenario to the server. The server registers the transmitted title through the use of the material storage information made in advance in the client to agree with the server environment. With this arrangement, it is possible to create, register and reproduce the same title between clients different in expression of the material storage information from each other.

Claims

1. A multimedia information distributing system comprising a client for creating a title composed of a material and a scenario showing a reproducing procedure for said material and a server for registering said title, with said client and said server being in communicable relation to each other,

said client including:

title editing means for creating said title and further for creating material and scenario storage information showing a storage condition of said material and said scenario necessary for the creation of said title;

retention means for retaining said material, said scenario of said title created by said title editing means, and said material and scenario storage information;

communication means for carrying out transmission and reception of said material and further for conducting transmission of said scenario, said material and scenario storage information and a title registration instruction for permitting registration of said title with said server;

material and scenario storage information converting means for making at least one of mapping and conversion between client recognition information being said material and scenario storage information recognizable on the client side and server recognition information being said material and scenario storage information recognizable on the server side; and

title processing control means for controlling said title editing means, said retention means, said communication means and said material and scenario storage information converting means and further for creating said title registration instruction,

said server including;

title communication means for receiving said material and scenario constituting said title, said material and scenario storage information, and said title registration instruction;

temporary retention means for temporarily retaining said material and said scenario received by said title communication means;

title retention means for registering said title composed of said material and said scenario retained in said temporary retention means; and

title processing control means for controlling said title communication means, said temporary retention means, and said title retention means,

wherein, after said material and said scenario transmitted from said client are retained in said temporary retention means, said title processing control means of said client gives an instruction to said material and scenario storage information converting means to convert said material and scenario storage information of said title retained in said temporary retention means, which is said client recognition information, into said server recognition information and transmits said server recognition information and said title registration instruction of said title to said server, and further, said title processing control means of said server registers on said title retention means the title comprising said material and said scenario retained in said temporary retention means on the basis of the transmitted server recognition information and said title registration instruction.

2. A multimedia information distributing system comprising a client for creating a title composed of materials and a scenario showing a reproducing procedure for said materials and a server for registering said title, with said client and said server being in communicable relation to each other,

said client including:

title editing means for creating said title and further for creating material and scenario storage information showing a storage condition of said materials and said scenario necessary for the creation of said title;

retention means for retaining said materials, said scenario of said title created by said title editing means, and said material and scenario storage information;

communication means for carrying out transmission and reception of said materials and further for conducting transmission of said scenario, said material and scenario storage information and a title registration instruction for permitting registration of said title with said server; and

title processing control means for controlling said title editing means, said retention means and said communication means, and further for creating said title registration instruction,

said server including;

title communication means for receiving said materials and scenario constituting said title, said material and scenario storage information, and said title registration instruction;

temporary retention means for temporarily retaining said materials and said scenario received through said title communication means;

title retention means for registering said title composed of said materials and said scenario retained in said temporary retention means; and

title processing control means for controlling said title communication means, said temporary retention means, and said title retention means,

wherein said title processing control means of said client give an instruction to said communication means to send to said server, of said materials, a material defying reference and collection from said server, while said title processing control means of said server gives an instruction to said title communication means to collect said materials other than said material from said client.

3. A multimedia information distributing system comprising a client for creating a title composed of a material and a scenario showing a reproducing procedure for said material and a server for registering said title, with said client and said server being in communicable relation to each other,

said client including:

title editing means for creating said title and further for creating material and scenario storage information showing a storage condition of said material and said scenario necessary for the creation of said title;

retention means for retaining said material, said scenario of said title created by said title editing means, and said material and scenario storage information;

communication means for carrying out transmission and reception of said material and further for conducting transmission of said scenario, said material and scenario storage information and a title registration instruction for permitting registration of said title with said server;

material and scenario storage information converting means for making at least one of mapping and conversion between client recognition information being said material and scenario storage information recognizable on the client side and server recognition information being said material and scenario storage information recognizable on the server side; and

title processing control means for controlling said title editing means, said retention means, said communication means and said material and scenario storage information converting means and further for creating said title registration instruction,

said server including;

title communication means for receiving said material and scenario constituting said title, said material and scenario storage information, and said title registration instruction;

temporary retention means for temporarily retaining said material and said scenario received by said title communication means;

title retention means for registering said title in units of said scenario retained in said temporary retention means and a kind of said material;

material examining means for checking whether or not said material constituting said title specified by said client is already retained in said title retention means; and

title processing control means for controlling said title communication means, said temporary retention means, said title retention means and said material examining means,

wherein, when said title retention means registers said title, said title processing control means of said server updates the contents of said scenario constituting said title and the name of said material on the basis of the comparison of an examination result of said material examining means with said material retained in said title retention means.

4. A multimedia information distributing system comprising a client for creating a title composed of a material and a scenario showing a reproducing procedure for said material and a server for registering said title, with said client and said server being in communicable relation to each other,

said client including:

title editing means for creating said title and further for creating material and scenario storage information showing a storage condition of said material and said scenario necessary for the creation of said title;

retention means for retaining said material, said scenario of said title created by said title editing means, and said material and scenario storage information;

communication means for carrying out transmission and reception of said material and further for conducting transmission of said scenario, said material and scenario storage information and a title registration instruction for permitting registration of said title with said server;

material and scenario storage information converting means for making at least one of mapping and conversion between client recognition information being said material and scenario storage information recognizable on the client side and server recognition information being said material and scenario storage information recognizable on the server side; and

title processing control means for controlling said title editing means, said retention means, said communication means and said material and scenario storage information converting means and further for creating said title registration instruction,

said server including;

title communication means for receiving said material and scenario constituting said title, said material and scenario storage information, and said title registration instruction;

temporary retention means for temporarily retaining said material and said scenario received by said title communication means;

title retention means for registering said title in units of said scenario retained in said temporary retention means and a kind of said material;

material examining means for checking whether or not said material constituting said title specified by said client is already retained in said title retention means;

title processing control means for controlling said title communication means, said temporary retention means, said title retention means and said material examining means; and

means for, when said title specified by said client is registered with said title retention means, creating information about the relation between the name of said material, constituting said title, before the registration and the name of said material after the registration.

5. A multimedia information distributing system comprising a transmission server having a title comprising a material and a scenario showing a reproducing procedure for said material and a reception server for registering said title, with said transmission server and said reception server being in communicable relation to each other,

said transmission server including:

title retention means having said title in units of said scenario and a kind of said material;

communication means for performing transmission of said scenario and material constituting said title; and

title transmission control means for controlling said title retention means and said communication means,

said reception server including;

title communication means for receiving said material and scenario constituting said title;

title retention means for registering said title in units of said scenario constituting said title and a kind of said material; and

title processing control means for controlling said title communication means and said title retention means,

wherein, when a plurality of titles said title retention means of said transmission server possesses are registered with said reception server, said title transmission control means communizes materials constituting said plurality of titles and then transmits said materials and scenarios constituting said titles, while said title processing control means registers the transmitted scenarios and materials with said title retention means in a form left untouched.