Information processing apparatus and information processing method
First Claim
1. An information processing apparatus comprising:
- an input unit configured to receive an input operation by a user;
a generation unit configured to generate, for a second information processing apparatus, a request signal indicating a request to send multimedia data based on the input operation by the user received by said input unit, the second information processing apparatus includinga first storage unit configured to store the multimedia data,a second storage unit configured to store information indicating a virtual hierarchical structure for organizing the multimedia data, stored by said first storage unit, into categories, anda third storage unit configured to store information concerning the priority of the multimedia data, stored by said first storage unit, in the categories of the hierarchical structure stored by said second storage unit;
a sending unit configured to send the request signal generated by said generation unit;
a receiving unit configured to receive the multimedia data extracted from said first storage unit and sent from the second information processing apparatus, in accordance with the request signal sent from said sending unit, based on the information indicating the virtual hierarchical structure stored by said second storage unit and the information concerning the priority of the multimedia data stored by said third storage unit; and
a playback unit configured to play back the multimedia data received by said receiving unit.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An object of the present invention is to allow a client to make a request for music data stored in a server and to receive it and play it back. A client program 421 controls the sending of a request signal to a server 401, the reception and playback processing of music data from the server 401, and the display of a GUI performed by a display controller 426, and outputs the music data received by a communication unit 423 from the server 401 to an audio data converter 424. A server program 411 controls the sending of music data to the client 402, and registration of information in a music database 415, a link information database 416, and a ranking information database 417, searches the music database 415 for the requested music data, and sends the music data to the client 402. The present invention can be applied to a personal computer, a PDA, a cellular telephone, a desk-top playback device, a portable playback device, and a simplified playback device.
32 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An information processing apparatus comprising:
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an input unit configured to receive an input operation by a user; a generation unit configured to generate, for a second information processing apparatus, a request signal indicating a request to send multimedia data based on the input operation by the user received by said input unit, the second information processing apparatus including a first storage unit configured to store the multimedia data, a second storage unit configured to store information indicating a virtual hierarchical structure for organizing the multimedia data, stored by said first storage unit, into categories, and a third storage unit configured to store information concerning the priority of the multimedia data, stored by said first storage unit, in the categories of the hierarchical structure stored by said second storage unit; a sending unit configured to send the request signal generated by said generation unit; a receiving unit configured to receive the multimedia data extracted from said first storage unit and sent from the second information processing apparatus, in accordance with the request signal sent from said sending unit, based on the information indicating the virtual hierarchical structure stored by said second storage unit and the information concerning the priority of the multimedia data stored by said third storage unit; and a playback unit configured to play back the multimedia data received by said receiving unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An information processing method comprising:
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controlling an input of an operation by a user; generating, for a second information processing apparatus, a request signal indicating a request to send multimedia data based on the controlled input operation by the user, the second information processing apparatus including first storage unit configured to store the multimedia data, second storage unit configured to store information indicating a virtual hierarchical structure for organizing the multimedia data, stored by said first storage unit, into categories, and third storage unit configured to store information concerning the priority of the multimedia data, stored by said first storage unit, in the categories of the hierarchical structure stored by said second storage unit; controlling the sending of the generated request signal; controlling the reception of the multimedia data extracted from said first storage unit and sent from the second information processing apparatus in accordance with the sent request signal sent based on the information indicating the virtual hierarchical structure stored by said second storage unit and the information concerning the priority of the multimedia data stored by said third storage unit; and playing back the received multimedia data.
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11. A computer usable readable medium having program code embodied therein for causing a computer to implement a method of:
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controlling an input of an operation by a user; generating, for a second information processing apparatus, a request signal indicating a request to send multimedia data based on the controlled input operation by the user, the second information processing apparatus including first storage unit configured to store the multimedia data, second storage unit configured to store information indicating a virtual hierarchical structure for organizing the multimedia data, stored by said first recording unit, into categories, and third storage unit configured to store information concerning the priority of the multimedia data, stored by said first storage unit, in the categories of the hierarchical structure stored by said second storage unit; controlling the sending of the generated request signal; controlling the reception of the multimedia data extracted from said first storage unit and sent from the second information processing apparatus in accordance with the sent request signal sent based on the information indicating the virtual hierarchical structure stored by said second storage unit and the information concerning the priority of the multimedia data stored by said third storage unit; and playing back the received multimedia data.
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12. An information processing apparatus comprising:
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receiving unit configured to receive a request signal from a first information processing apparatus; first storage unit configured to store multimedia data; second storage unit configured to store information indicating a virtual hierarchical structure for organizing the multimedia data, stored by said first storage unit, into categories; third storage unit configured to store information concerning the priority of the multimedia data, stored by said first storage unit, in the categories of the virtual hierarchical structure stored by said second storage unit; extraction unit configured to extract the multimedia data stored by said first storage unit based on the request signal received by said receiving unit, the information indicating the virtual hierarchical structure stored by said second storage unit, and the information concerning the priority of the multimedia data stored by said third storage unit; and sending unit configured to send the multimedia data, extracted by said extraction unit, to the first information processing apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. An information processing method comprising:
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receiving a request signal from a first information processing apparatus; storing multimedia data in a first storage unit; storing information indicating a virtual hierarchical structure for organizing the multimedia data into categories in a second storage unit; storing information concerning the priority of the multimedia data in the categories of the virtual hierarchical structure stored in said second storage unit; extracting the multimedia data based on the received request signal, the information indicating the virtual hierarchical structure, and the information concerning the priority of the multimedia data; and sending the extracted multimedia data to the first information processing apparatus.
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17. A computer usable readable medium having program code embodied therein for causing a computer to implement a method of:
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receiving a request signal from a first information processing apparatus; storing multimedia data in a first storage unit; storing information indicating a virtual hierarchical structure for organizing the multimedia data into categories in a second storage unit; storing information concerning the priority of the multimedia data in the categories of the virtual hierarchical structure stored in said second storage unit; extracting the multimedia data based on the received request signal, the information indicating the virtual hierarchical structure, and the information concerning the priority of the multimedia data; and sending the extracted multimedia data to the first information processing apparatus.
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18. An information processing system comprising:
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a first information processing apparatus configured to store multimedia data; and a second information processing apparatus configured to receive and play back the multimedia data, said first processing apparatus comprising; a first receiving unit configured to receive a request signal sent from said second information processing apparatus; a first storage unit configured to store the multimedia data; a second storage unit configured to store information indicating a virtual hierarchical structure for organizing the multimedia data, stored by said first storage unit into, categories; third storage unit configured to store information concerning the priority of the multimedia data stored by said first storage unit in the categories of the virtual hierarchical structure stored by said second storage unit; an extraction configured to extract the multimedia data, stored by said first storage unit, based on the request signal received by said first receiving unit, the information indicating the virtual hierarchical structure stored by said second storage unit, and the information concerning the priority of the multimedia data stored by said third storage unit; and a first sending unit configured to send the multimedia data extracted by said extraction unit to said second information processing apparatus, said second information processing apparatus comprising; an input unit configured to receive an input of an operation by a user; a generation unit configured to generate, for a second information processing apparatus, a request signal indicating a request to send multimedia data based on the input operation by the user received by said input unit a generation unit configured to generate the request signal indicating a request to send the multimedia data stored by said first storage unit of said first information processing apparatus based on the operation by the user input by said input unit; second sending unit configured to send the request signal generated by said generation unit to said first information processing apparatus; second receiving unit configured to receive the multimedia data sent from said first information processing apparatus; and playback unit configured to play back the multimedia data received by said second receiving unit.
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19. An information processing apparatus comprising:
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input means for receiving an input operation by a user; generation means for generating, for a second information processing apparatus, a request signal indicating a request to send multimedia data based on the input operation by the user received by said input means, the second information processing apparatus including first storage means for storing the multimedia data, second storage means for storing information indicating a virtual hierarchical structure for organizing the multimedia data, stored by said first storage means, into categories, and third storage means for storing information concerning the priority of the multimedia data, stored by said first storage means, in the categories of the hierarchical structure stored by said second storage means; sending means for sending the request signal generated by said generation means; receiving means for receiving the multimedia data extracted from said first storage means and sent from the second information processing apparatus, in accordance with the request signal sent from said sending means, based on the information indicating the virtual hierarchical structure stored by said second storage means and the information concerning the priority of the multimedia data stored by said third storage means; and a playback means for playing back the multimedia data received by said receiving means.
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Specification