Method and system for supplying contents via communication network

• US 6,552,254 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2001
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Takahashi, Hiroaki, Hasegawa, Yutaka, Umezawa, Satoru, Terada, Kosei
• Primary Examiner(s): Witkowski, Stanley J.
• Application Number:
  US09/924,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20020026867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 846/09--14, 846/34--38, 846/45, 844/77.R, 844/78, 434/307.A, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 84/609
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0058 Transmission between separate instruments or between individual components of a musical system G10H1/0083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/061 for extraction of musical phrases, isolation of musically relevant segments, e.g. musical thumbnail generation, or for temporal structure analysis of a musical piece, e.g. determination of the movement sequence of a musical work
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/041 File watermark, i.e. embedding a hidden code in an electrophonic musical instrument file or stream for identification or authentification purposes audio watermarking G10L19/018
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/056 MIDI or other note-oriented file format

Abstract

The transmission of sample or regular content such as audio data from a server to a single client over a communication network for test-listening or purchase is disclosed. A user may choose a musical selection for test-listening. The sample content may be a selected representative portion extracted from the regular content. If the user decides to purchase the sampled musical selection, the musical selection is transmitted from the server to the client computer. Additional information supplied along with the regular content identifies the musical selection and provides security. However, this additional information is not supplied when sample content is transmitted. Profile information may be supplied along with regular or sample content. The content may be classified, organized, and selected on a channel-by-channel basis. Regular content may be supplied to the client by downloading, while sample content may be supplied to the client by streaming.

Claims

1. A contents supply method by which regular contents and sample contents are supplied from a server to a client via a communication network, the regular contents comprising data of a music piece in reproducible form, the sample contents comprising data of part of the music piece in reproducible form, said contents supply method comprising:

a first step of causing said server to prompt a user of said client to select the music piece reproducible on the basis of the regular contents or the sample contents and to make a request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents;

a second step of causing said server to receive the request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents of the music piece selected by the user which is transmitted to said server by said client in response to prompting via said first step; and

a third step of causing said server to transmit the sample contents to said client if said second step has received the request for supply of the sample contents, or transmitting the regular contents to said client if said second step has received the request for supply of the regular contents;

wherein the regular contents transmitted to said client via said third step are transmitted by said server along with additional information unique to the regular contents via a communication line; and

wherein the sample contents transmitted to said client via said third step are transmitted by said server without the additional information via the communication line.

2. A contents supply method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the regular contents are transmitted to said client in such form that does not permit normal reproduction of the regular contents, and

wherein the unique additional information is key information for restoring the regular contents into form that allows the regular contents to be reproduced.

3. A contents supply method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unique additional information includes identification information that can be used to identify the regular contents to be transmitted.

4. A contents supply method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unique additional information includes number-of-reproduction defining information that defines a specific number of times the regular contents to be transmitted via said third step may be reproduced.

5. A contents supply method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the regular contents include at least one of performance data, sound data and picture data,

wherein said first step further prompts the user to select constituent data of the regular contents to be transmitted via said third step, from among the performance data, sound data and picture data, and

said third step transmits, to said client, the regular contents including the constituent data selected by the user in response to prompting via said first step.

6. A contents supply method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sample contents include predetermined one or more of the performance data, sound data and picture data.

7. A computer program comprising computer program code means for performing all the steps of claim 1 when said program is run on a processor of said server.

8. A computer program as claimed in claim 7 embodied on a machine-readable storage medium.

9. A contents supply method by which regular contents and sample contents are supplied from a server to a client via a communication network, the regular contents comprising data of a music piece in reproducible form, the sample contents comprising data of part of the music piece in reproducible form, said contents supply method comprising:

a first step of causing said server to prompt a user of said client to select the music piece reproducible on the basis of the regular contents or the sample contents and to make a request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents;

a second step of causing said server to receive the request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents of the music piece selected by the user which is transmitted to said server by said client in response to prompting via said first step; and

a third step of causing said server to transmit the sample contents to said client via a transmission line if said second step has received the request for supply of the sample contents, or transmitting the regular contents to said client via the transmission line if said second step has received the request for supply of the regular contents;

wherein said first step further prompts the user to make a request for supply of profile information representative of a profile of a music piece,

wherein said second step also receives the request for supply of profile information of the music piece selected by the user that is transmitted to said server by said client, and

wherein said third step transmits the profile information to said client when said second step has received the request for supply of profile information.

10. A contents supply method by which regular contents and sample contents are supplied from a server to a client via a communication network, the regular contents comprising data of a music piece in reproducible form, the sample contents comprising data of part of the music piece in reproducible form, wherein said server is capable of supplying said client with a plurality of music pieces, each of the plurality of music pieces belonging to any one of a plurality of channels, said contents supply method comprising:

a first step of prompting the user of said client to select one of the channels;

a second step of causing said server to prompt a user of said client to select the music piece reproducible on the basis of the regular contents or the sample contents and to make a request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents;

a third step of causing said server to receive the request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents of the music piece selected by the user which is transmitted to said server by said client in response to prompting via said second step; and

a fourth step of causing said server to transmit the sample contents to said client via a transmission line if said third step has received the request for supply of the sample contents, or transmitting the regular contents to said client via the transmission line if said third step has received the request for supply of the regular contents;

wherein said second step prompts the user of said client to select one of the music pieces belonging to the channel selected by the user in response to prompting via said first step.

11. A contents supply method by which regular contents and sample contents are supplied from a server to a client via a communication network, the regular contents comprising data of a music piece in reproducible form, the sample contents comprising data of part of the music piece in reproducible form, said contents supply method comprising:

a first step of causing said server to prompt a user of said client to select the music piece reproducible on the basis of the regular contents or the sample contents and to make a request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents;

a second step of causing said server to receive the request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents of the music piece selected by the user which is transmitted to said server by said client in response to prompting via said first step; and

a third step of causing said server to transmit the sample contents to said client if said second step has received the request for supply of the sample contents, or transmitting the regular contents to said client if said second step has received the request for supply of the regular contents;

wherein said third step supplies said client with the sample contents by streaming transmission via a communication line, and said third step supplies said client with the regular contents by downloading via the communication line.

12. A server apparatus for supplying regular contents and sample contents to a client via a communication network, the regular contents comprising data of a music piece in reproducible form, the sample contents comprising data of part of the music piece in reproducible form, said server apparatus comprising:

a processor adapted to;

transmit information for prompting a user of said client to select the music piece reproducible on the basis of the regular contents or the sample contents and to make a request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents;

receive the request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents of the music piece selected by the user which is transmitted to said server by said client; and

transmit the sample contents to said client in response to receipt of the request for supply of the sample contents, or transmit the regular contents to said client in response to receipt of the request for supply of the regular contents;

wherein the regular contents transmitted to said client are transmitted by said server apparatus along with additional information unique to the regular contents via a communication line; and

wherein the sample contents transmitted to said client are transmitted by said server apparatus without the additional information via the communication line.

13. A contents reception method by which regular contents and sample contents are received from a server by a client via a communication network, the regular contents comprising data of a music piece in reproducible form, the sample contents comprising data of part of the music piece in reproducible form, said contents reception method comprising:

a first step of causing said client to connect to said server;

a second step of, on the basis of a response from said server, causing said client to prompt a user to select the music piece reproducible on the basis of the regular contents or the sample contents and to make a request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents;

a third step of causing said client to transmit the request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents of the music piece selected by the user in response to prompting via said second step; and

a fourth step of causing said client to receive the sample contents or the regular contents of the music piece corresponding to the request for supply transmitted via said third step;

wherein the regular contents received by said client via said fourth step are received by said client along with additional information unique to the regular contents via a communication line; and

wherein the sample contents received by said client via said fourth step are received by said client without the additional information via the communication line.

14. A contents reception method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the regular contents are received by said client in such form that does not permit normal reproduction of the regular contents, and wherein the unique additional information includes key information for restoring the regular contents into form that allows the regular contents to be reproduced.

15. A contents reception method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the unique additional information includes identification information that can be used to identify the regular contents to be received via said fourth step.

16. A contents reception method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the unique additional information includes number-of-reproduction defining information that defines a specific number of times the regular contents may be reproduced.

17. A contents reception method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the regular contents include at least one of performance data, sound data and picture data, and

wherein said second step further prompts the user to select constituent data of the regular contents to be received via said fourth step, from among the performance data, sound data and picture data, and

said fourth step transmits, to said client, the regular contents composed of the constituent data selected by the user in response to prompting via said second step.

18. A contents reception method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the sample contents include predetermined one or more of the performance data, sound data and picture data.

19. A computer program comprising computer program code means for performing all the steps of claim 13 when said program is run on a processor of said client.

20. A computer program as claimed in claim 19 embodied on a machine-readable storage medium.

21. A contents reception method by which regular contents and sample contents are received from a server by a client via a communication network, the regular contents comprising data of a music piece in reproducible form, the sample contents comprising data of part of the music piece in reproducible form, said contents reception method comprising:

a first step of causing said client to connect to said server;

a second step of, on the basis of a response from said server, causing said client to prompt a user to select the music piece reproducible on the basis of the regular contents or the sample contents and to make a request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents;

a third step of causing said client to transmit the request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents of the music piece selected by the user in response to prompting via said second step; and

a fourth step of causing said client to receive the sample contents or the regular contents of the music piece corresponding to the request for supply transmitted via said third step via a communication line;

wherein said second step further prompts the user to make a request for supply of profile information representative of a profile of a music piece,

wherein said third step also receives the request for supply of profile information of the music piece selected by the user, and

wherein said fourth step transmits the profile information to said client when said third step has received the request for supply of profile information.

22. A contents reception method by which regular contents and sample contents are received from a server by a client via a communication network, the regular contents comprising data of a music piece in reproducible form, the sample contents comprising data of part of the music piece in reproducible form, wherein said client is capable of receiving a plurality of music pieces, each of the plurality of music pieces belonging to any one of a plurality of channels, said contents reception method comprising:

a first step of prompting the user of said client to select one of the channels,

a second step of causing said client to connect to said server;

a third step of, on the basis of a response from said server, causing said client to prompt a user to select the music piece reproducible on the basis of the regular contents or the sample contents and to make a request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents;

a fourth step of causing said client to transmit the request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents of the music piece selected by the user in response to prompting via said third step; and

a fifth step of causing said client to receive the sample contents or the regular contents of the music piece corresponding to the request for supply transmitted via said fourth step via a communication line;

wherein said third step prompts the user of said client to select one of the music pieces belonging to the channel selected by the user in response to prompting via said first step.

23. A contents reception method by which regular contents and sample contents are received from a server by a client via a communication network, the regular contents comprising data of a music piece in reproducible form, the sample contents comprising data of part of the music piece in reproducible form, said contents reception method comprising:

a first step of causing said client to connect to said server;

a second step of, on the basis of a response from said server, causing said client to prompt a user to select the music piece reproducible on the basis of the regular contents or the sample contents and to make a request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents;

a third step of causing said client to transmit the request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents of the music piece selected by the user in response to prompting via said second step; and

a fourth step of causing said client to receive the sample contents or the regular contents of the music piece corresponding to the request for supply transmitted via said third step;

wherein said fourth step receives the sample contents by streaming via a transmission line, and said fourth step receives the regular contents by downloading via the transmission line.

24. A client apparatus for receiving regular contents and sample contents from a server via a communication network, the regular contents comprising data of a music piece in reproducible form, the sample contents comprising data of part of the music piece in reproducible form, said client apparatus comprising a processor adapted to perform the steps of:

connecting said client apparatus to said server via said communication network;

on the basis of a response from said server, prompting a user to select the music piece reproducible on the basis of the regular contents or the sample contents and to make a request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents;

transmitting the request for supply of the regular contents or the sample contents of the music piece selected by the user to said server; and

receiving the sample contents or the regular contents of the music piece from said server in correspondence with the transmitted request for supply;

wherein the regular contents are received by said client apparatus along with additional information unique to the regular contents via a communication line; and

wherein the sample contents are received by said client apparatus without the additional information via the communication line.