Streaming data from multiple sources according to storage location information

• US 7,054,914 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2001
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Naoya, Tanaka, Hidekazu
• Primary Examiner(s): LANE, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US09/775,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20010025302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• Field of Search: 709/213, 370/338, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 209/219, 209/218, 209/238, 209/239, 209/217
• US Class Current: 709/217
• 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: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

In a data processing system, device, and method and a program storage medium, provided are data storage devices that store data and a data processing device that receives a list describing information about data stored in the data storage devices from the data storage devices and that receives and processes data selected based on the received list. Accordingly, a large amount of data can be processed with the data processing device irrespective of storage capacity of storage means.

Claims

1. A data processing device comprising:

wireless telephone communication means for performing communication with a storage server on the internet via a wireless telephone network;

wireless communication means for performing short-range wireless communication with a data storage device;

a display section for displaying a list, including at least titles and storage location information, so that a user can select a title from said titles, said storage location information indicating the storage location of file data corresponding the titles;

controller means for alternately controlling said wireless telephone communication means and wireless communication means to download said file data according to said storage location information corresponding to the selected title;

storage means for said downloaded file data; and

data processing means for performing a predetermined process using said downloaded file data.

2. The data processing device according to claim 1, wherein said file data includes music data, and

wherein said data processing means reproduces the music data.

3. The data processing device according to claim 1, wherein said file data includes moving image data, and

wherein said data processing means reproduces the image data and displays the reproduced image data on the display section.

4. The data processing device according to claim 1,

wherein said data processing device receives portion of data selected from said list in said file data to store said portion of data, and

wherein said data processing device reads out said portion of data from said storage means by a predetermined amount to perform said predetermined processing before the completion of storage of said portion of data.

5. A data processing method comprising the steps of:

receiving a list, which includes at least titles of data and storage location information of said data, from a first data storage using wireless communication means;

displaying said received list;

selecting a title of data from said titles of data;

downloading said data of said title from said first data storage device using said wireless communication means or from said second data storage device using wireless telephone communication means according to said storage location information corresponding to said title;

storing said downloaded data; and

performing a predetermined process using said downloaded data.

6. A program storage medium for making a data processing device execute a program, said program comprising the steps of:

receiving a list, which includes at least titles of data and storage location information of said data, from a first data storage using wireless communication means;

displaying said received list;

selecting a title of data from said titles of data;

downloading said data of said title from said first data storage device using said wireless communication means or from said second data storage device using wireless telephone communication means according to said storage location information corresponding to said title;

storing said downloaded data; and

performing a predetermined process using said downloaded data.

7. A data processing device comprising:

wireless telephone communication means for performing communication with a file server via a wireless telephone network;

wireless communication means for performing wireless communication with a data storage device;

a memory to store at least titles and storage location information, said storage location information indicating the storage location of file data corresponding said titles;

a display to display at least said titles;

selection means for selecting a title among said titles;

a controller to control downloading of said file data corresponding to said selected title,

wherein said controller alternately controls said wireless telephone communication means and said wireless communication means according to said location information of said selected title; and

a decoder to decode the downloaded file data.

8. The data processing device according to claim 7, wherein said at least titles and storage location information are received from said data storage device via said wireless communication means.

9. The data processing device according to claim 7, wherein said downloaded file data is music data.

10. The data processing device according to claim 7, wherein said downloaded file data is moving image data.

11. A data processing method comprising:

displaying at least titles and storage location information, said storage location information indicating the storage location of file data corresponding said titles;

selecting a title among said titles;

controlling to download said file data corresponding to said selected title, using wireless telephone communication means configured to perform communication with a file server via a wireless telephone network or wireless communication means configured to perform wireless communication with a data storage device, according to said storage location information of said selected title; and

decoding said downloaded file data.