Music-data reproducing system using a download program

• US 7,330,881 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1999
• 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: Arisawa, Ryukou, Fujii, Yuichi, Sasaki, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): MESFIN, YEMANE
• Application Number:
  US11/318,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20060101132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/247, 455/414.3, 455/414.4, 455/517, 717/178
• US Class Current: 709/219
• 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 2240/061 MP3, i.e. MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, lossy audio compression
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/251 Mobile telephone transmission, i.e. transmitting, accessing or controlling music data wirelessly via a wireless or mobile telephone receiver, analogue or digital, e.g. DECT, GSM, UMTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A data card 101 with music data accumulated therein is inserted into a portable telephone 110 to fetch the music data into the portable telephone, and application software suitable for a music data format prescribed in association with the music data is selected from among a plurality of pieces of application software (131, 133) stored in a server 130 located remotely, and is downloaded. Through this configuration, the application software associated with the music data can be downloaded from the server to the portable telephone by the user'"'"'s selection.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting a music reproducing application, comprising:

identifying a music content data stored in a storage portion in a portable terminal;

searching whether there is a history of the music reproducing application stored in the storage portion in the portable terminal and if there is no said history, searching a communication network for the music reproducing application, wherein the reproducing application enables reproduction of the identified music content data;

instructing a server via an instructing portion of the portable terminal to transmit reproducing information about the reproducing application to the portable terminal through the communication network when the music reproducing application that enables the reproduction of the identified music content data is not stored in the storage portion; and

receiving the reproducing information in response to an instruction from the portable terminal, wherein the reproducing information includes the music reproducing application that enables the reproduction of the identified music content data.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the reproducing information includes a list of a plurality of reproducing applications that enables the reproduction of the identified music content data and is transferable from the server to the portable terminal through the communication network.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, further comprising:

selecting the music reproducing application from the list;

requesting the server to transmit the selected reproducing application to the portable terminal through the communication network; and

receiving the selected reproducing application.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the storage portion is detachable from the portable terminal.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a process of receiving the music content data through the communication network.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1,

wherein in the identifying process, a format of the music content data is identified;

and

wherein in the searching process, the music reproducing application that enables the reproduction of the music content data having the identified format is searched.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein the format of the content data is at least one of MP3, MPEG and Quick Time.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a process of recording a history of the transmission in which the reproducing application was downloaded and stored in the storage portion.

9. A system of transmitting a music reproducing application, comprising:

a server configured to store a plurality of reproducing applications; and

a portable terminal,

wherein the portable terminal includes;

a storage portion configured to store the music reproducing application and music content data;

an identifying portion that identifies the music content data stored in the storage portion;

a searching portion that searches to determine whether there is a history of the music reproducing application being stored in the storage portion and that searches the storage portion when there is no said history for the music reproducing application that enables reproduction of identified music content data;

an instructing portion that transmits an instruction to the server through the communication network when the music reproducing application that is enabled to reproduce the identified music content data is not found in the storage portion; and

wherein the server transmits reproducing information about the music reproducing application to the portable terminal in response to the instruction received from the portable terminal and wherein the reproducing information includes the music reproducing application that enables the reproduction of the identified music content data.

10. The system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the reproducing information includes a list of the reproducing application that enables the reproduction of the identified music content data and is transferable to the portable terminal through the communication network.

11. The system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the portable terminal includes a selecting portion that selects the music reproducing application from the list;

wherein the portable terminal includes a requesting portion that requests the server to transmit the selected reproducing application to the portable terminal through the communication network; and

wherein the server transmits the selected reproducing application to the portable terminal.

12. The system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the storage portion is detachable from the portable terminal.

13. The system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the portable terminal receives a receiving portion that receives the content data through the network.

14. The system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the identifying portion identifies a format of the content data;

and

wherein the searching portion searches the reproducing application that enables the reproduction of the Content data having the identified format.

15. The system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the format of the content data is at least one of MP3, MPEG and Quick-Time.

16. The system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the portable terminal includes a recording portion that records a history of the transmission in which the reproducing application was downloaded and stored in the storage portion.