Portal server and information supply method for supplying music content of multiple versions
First Claim
1. A portal server connecting with a plurality of content supply servers and also connectable with a client terminal via a communication network, each of said plurality of content supply servers having music content and being connectable with the client terminal by itself, said portal server comprising:
- a first transmission section that transmits, to said client terminal, a list of music content, suppliable by at least one of said plurality of content supply servers, at least two items of music content of a same music piece being enumerated on the list, each of the items of music content of the same music piece having added thereto display information pertaining to a musical characteristic of the music content, whereby, in said client terminal, desired music content can be selected based on the list transmitted by said portal server;
a first reception section that receives selection information, based on selection of the desired music content in said client terminal, transmitted by said client terminal; and
a second transmission section that, based on the selection information received by said first reception section, transmits instruction information to urge at least one of said plurality of content supply servers to transmit the desired music content to said client terminal, whereby said at least one of said plurality of content supply servers having received the instruction information is capable of transmitting the desired music content to said client terminal directly or via said portal server.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Portal server connects with a plurality of content supply servers and is also connectable with a client terminal via a communication network. Each of the plurality of content supply servers has music content. The portal server is accessed by the client terminal, and the portal server transmits, to the client terminal, a list of music content suppliable by the content supply servers, in response to a request from the client terminal. Desired music content can be selected in the client terminal on the basis of the list transmitted by the portal server, and selection information specifying the selected music content can be transmitted from the client terminal to the communication network. Then, in response to the selection information, the selected music content can be supplied from the content supply server having the selected music content.
45 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A portal server connecting with a plurality of content supply servers and also connectable with a client terminal via a communication network, each of said plurality of content supply servers having music content and being connectable with the client terminal by itself, said portal server comprising:
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a first transmission section that transmits, to said client terminal, a list of music content, suppliable by at least one of said plurality of content supply servers, at least two items of music content of a same music piece being enumerated on the list, each of the items of music content of the same music piece having added thereto display information pertaining to a musical characteristic of the music content, whereby, in said client terminal, desired music content can be selected based on the list transmitted by said portal server; a first reception section that receives selection information, based on selection of the desired music content in said client terminal, transmitted by said client terminal; and a second transmission section that, based on the selection information received by said first reception section, transmits instruction information to urge at least one of said plurality of content supply servers to transmit the desired music content to said client terminal, whereby said at least one of said plurality of content supply servers having received the instruction information is capable of transmitting the desired music content to said client terminal directly or via said portal server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A portal server connecting with a plurality of content supply servers and also connectable with a client terminal via a communication network, each of said plurality of content supply servers having music content, said portal server comprising:
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a first transmission section that transmits a list of music content, suppliable by said plurality of content supply servers, in response to a request from said client terminal, whereby, in said client terminal, desired music content can be selected based on the list transmitted by said portal server; and a second transmission section that transmits, to said client terminal, data related to a virtual community space defined by information received from said plurality of content supply servers or music content possessed by said plurality of content supply servers, wherein predetermined information is allowed to be written, by a user of said client terminal, into said virtual community space, and the written predetermined information is allowed to be browsed by another user, wherein desired music content selected in said client terminal is delivered to said client terminal from a corresponding one of said content supply servers directly or via said portal server, wherein said portal server cumulatively stores use history information pertaining to delivery of music piece data to a user of said client terminal, determines whether or not the cumulatively-stored use history information of the user has become correspondent to a preset classification standard of any one of a plurality of groups, and adds the user to a mailing list of the one group as a member of the group if said portal server determines that the cumulatively-stored use history information of the user has become correspondent to the preset classification standard, and wherein the user of said client terminal can make a setting to prevent a group mail from being delivered to said client terminal. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A portal server connecting with a plurality of content supply servers and also connectable with a client terminal via a communication network, each of said plurality of content supply servers having music content and being connectable with the client terminal by itself, said portal server comprising a processor adapted to:
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transmit, to said client terminal, a list of music content, suppliable by at least one of said plurality of content supply servers, at least two items of music content of a same music piece being enumerated on the list, each of the items of music content of the same music piece having added thereto display information pertaining to a musical characteristic of the music content, whereby, in said client terminal, desired music content can be selected based on the list transmitted by said portal server; receive selection information, based on selection of the desired music content in said client terminal, transmitted by said client terminal; and based on the received selection information, transmit instruction information to urge at least one of said plurality of content supply servers to transmit the desired music content to said client terminal, whereby said at least one of said plurality of content supply servers having received the instruction information is capable of transmitting the desired music content to said client terminal directly or via said portal server.
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13. A portal server connecting with a plurality of content supply servers and also connectable with a client terminal via a communication network, each of said plurality of content supply servers having music content, said portal server comprising a processor adapted to:
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transmit a list of music content, suppliable by said plurality of content supply servers, in response to a request from said client terminal, whereby, in said client terminal, desired music content can be selected based on the list transmitted by said portal server; and transmit, to said client terminal, data related to a virtual community space defined by information received from said plurality of content supply servers or music content possessed by said plurality of content supply servers, wherein predetermined information is allowed to be written, by a user of said client terminal, into said virtual community space, and the written predetermined information is allowed to be browsed by another users, wherein desired music content selected in said client terminal is delivered to said client terminal from a corresponding one of said content supply servers directly or via said portal server, wherein said portal server cumulatively stores use history information pertaining to delivery of music piece data to a user of said client terminal, determines whether or not the cumulatively-stored use history information of the user has become correspondent to a preset classification standard of any one of a plurality of groups, and adds the user to a mailing list of the one group as a member of the group if said portal server determines that the cumulatively-stored use history information of the user has become correspondent to the preset classification standard, and wherein the user of said client terminal can make a setting to prevent a group mail from being delivered to said client terminal.
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14. A computer program embodied on a tangible computer readable storage medium containing a group of instructions for causing a computer to perform an information communication method for use in a portal server connecting with a plurality of content supply servers and also connectable with a client terminal via a communication network, each of said plurality of content supply servers having music content and being connectable with the client terminal by itself, said information communication method comprising:
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a first step of transmitting, to said client terminal, a list of music content, suppliable by at least one of said plurality of content supply servers, at least two items of music content of a same music piece being enumerated on the list, each of the items of music content of the same music piece having added thereto display information pertaining to a musical characteristic of the music content, whereby, in said client terminal, desired music content can be selected based on the list transmitted by said portal server; a second step of receiving selection information, based on selection of the desired music content in said client terminal, transmitted by said client terminal; and a third step of, based on the selection information received by said second step, transmitting instruction information to urge at least one of said plurality of content supply servers to transmit the desired music content to said client terminal, whereby said at least one of content supply servers having received the instruction information is capable of transmitting the desired music content to said client terminal directly or via said portal server.
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15. A computer program embodied on a tangible computer readable storage medium containing a group of instructions for causing a computer to perform an information communication method for use in a portal server connecting with a plurality of content supply servers and also connectable with a client terminal via a communication network, each of said plurality of content supply servers having music content, said information communication method comprising:
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a first step of transmitting a list of music content, suppliable by said plurality of content supply servers, in response to a request from said client terminal, whereby, in said client terminal, desired music content can be selected based on the list transmitted by said portal server; and a second step of transmitting, to said client terminal, data related to a virtual community space defined by information received from said plurality of content supply servers or music content possessed by said plurality of content supply servers, wherein predetermined information is allowed to be written, by a user of said client terminal, into said virtual community space, and the written predetermined information is allowed to be browsed by another user, wherein desired music content selected in said client terminal is delivered to said client terminal from a corresponding one of said content supply servers directly or via said portal server, wherein said portal server cumulatively stores use history information pertaining to delivery of music piece data to a user of said client terminal, determines whether or not the cumulatively-stored use history information of the user has become correspondent to a preset classification standard of any one of a plurality of groups, and adds the user to a mailing list of the one group as a member of the group if said portal server determines that the cumulatively-stored use history information of the user has become correspondent to the preset classification standard, and wherein the user of said client terminal can make a setting to prevent a group mail from being delivered to said client terminal.
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Specification