Information processing device, method, and program for distributing content by querying for a selected device ID from at least two identified device IDs

• US 7,483,942 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2004
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ando, Kaori, Tai, Yoshimasa, Tokita, Megumi, Nakayama, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): DUONG, OANH L
• Application Number:
  US10/779,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20050049934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/226, 709/229, 709/248, 709/245, 709/223, 705/26
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

Upon receiving a request for distribution of content data, determination is made whether or not the transmission can be performed, based upon a transmission reservation table. If a user has specified the transmission point in time, a transmission device refers to the reservation state corresponding to the specified point in time, and if available, the transmission device makes a reservation for the specified transmission point in time. Otherwise, the transmission device makes a reservation for an available transmission point in time near the specified point in time, as appropriate. If the user has not specified the transmission point in time, the transmission device transmits the content data at an available point in time, as appropriate. If the transmission device cannot acquire predetermined information, and accordingly cannot determine the transmission point in time, the transmission device generates a schedule indicating that the transmission point in time has not been fixed.

Claims

1. An information processing device, comprising:

first managing means for managing first IDs, each first ID identifying another device other than said information processing device itself;

second managing means for managing second IDs for identifying contents;

supplying means for supplying at least one of said second IDs managed by said first managing means to said other device making a request for distribution of said contents;

user ID managing means for managing a user ID corresponding to at least one of said first IDs;

receiving means for receiving at least one of said first IDs and said at least one of said second IDs from said other device;

identifying means for identifying said at least one of said first IDs corresponding to said user ID received by said receiving means;

generating means for generating a schedule for distributing said contents identified by said at least one of said second IDs to said other device corresponding to said received at least one of said first IDs by said receiving means;

transmitting means for transmitting said schedule generated by said generating means to said other device; and

distributing means for distributing said contents to said other device according to a request according to said schedule transmitted by said transmitting means,

wherein said user ID managing means for managing manages said user ID corresponding to at least two of said first IDs,

wherein said identifying means for identifying identifies said at least two first IDs corresponding to said user ID received by said receiving means, making a query to a communication device by transmitting said at least two first IDs and receiving said at least one of said first IDs chosen from said at least two first IDs,

wherein said generating means for generating generates said schedule for distributing said contents identified by said at least one of said second IDs to said other device corresponding to said at least chosen one of said at least two first IDs received by said identifying means, and

wherein said distributing means for distributing distributes said contents to said other device corresponding to said at least chosen one of said at least two first IDs received by said identifying means according to said schedule generated by said generating means.

2. An information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining means for determining whether or not said other device corresponding to said at least one of said first IDs can receive and store said content data transmitted according to said schedule; and

updating means for updating said schedule in the event that said determining means has determined that said other device corresponding to said at least one of said first IDs cannot receive and store said content data.

3. An information processing device according to claim 1, wherein in the event that the user having said other device has specified a point-in-time for distributing said contents through said other device, said generating means determines whether transmission of said contents can be performed at the specified point-in-time, and in the event that a determination has been made that the transmission can be performed, said generating means generates a schedule for transmission of said contents with the specified transmission point-in-time.

4. An information processing device, comprising:

first managing means for managing first IDs, each first ID identifying another device other than said information processing device itself;

second managing means for managing second IDs for identifying contents;

user ID managing means for managing a user ID corresponding to at least one of said first IDs;

supplying means for supplying at least one of said second IDs managed by said second managing means to a communication device making a request for distribution of said contents;

receiving means for receiving said user ID and said at least one of said second IDs from said communication device;

identifying means for identifying said at least one of said first IDs corresponding to said user ID received by said receiving means;

generating means for generating a schedule for distributing said contents identified by said at least one of said second IDs to said other device corresponding to said identified at least one of said first IDs in the event that said at least one of said first IDs has been identified by said identifying means; and

distributing means for distributing said contents to said other device according to said schedule generated by generating means,

wherein said user ID managing means for managing manages said user ID corresponding to at least two of said first IDs,

wherein said identifying means for identifying identifies said at least two first IDs corresponding to said user ID received by said receiving means, making a query to said communication device by transmitting said at least two first IDs and receiving said at least one of said first IDs chosen from said at least two first IDs,

wherein said generating means for generating generates said schedule for distributing said contents identified by said at least one of said second IDs to said other device corresponding to said at least chosen one of said at least two first IDs received by said identifying means, and

wherein said distributing means for distributing distributes said contents to said other device corresponding to said at least chosen one of said at least two first IDs received by said identifying means according to said schedule generated by said generating means.

5. An information processing device according to claim 4, wherein in the event that a user having said other device has specified a point-in-time for distributing said contents through said other device, said generating means determines whether or not transmission of said contents can be performed at the specified point-in-time, and in the event that a determination has been made that the transmission can be performed, said generating means generates a schedule for transmission of said contents with the specified transmission point-in-time.

6. An information processing system having an information processing device, another device and a communication device, comprising:

the information processing device including;

first managing means for managing first IDs, each first ID identifying another device other than said information processing device itself;

second managing means for managing second IDs for identifying contents;

user ID managing means for managing a user ID corresponding to at least one of said first IDs;

supplying means for supplying at least one of said second IDs managed by said second managing means to said communication device making a request for distribution of said contents;

receiving means for receiving said user ID and said at least one of said second IDs from said communication device;

identifying means for identifying at least one of said first IDs corresponding to said user ID received by said receiving means;

generating means for generating a schedule for distributing said contents identified by said at least one of said second IDs to said other device corresponding to said identified at least one of said first IDs in the event that said at least one of said first IDs has been identified by said identifying means;

transmitting means for transmitting said schedule for starting to write said contents identified by said at least one of said second IDs to said other device corresponding to said identified first ID, and

the another device comprising;

a storage means for storing received said contents according to said schedule generated by a generating means,

wherein said user ID managing means for managing manages said user ID corresponding to at least two of said first IDs,

wherein said identifying means for identifying identifies said at least two first IDs corresponding to said user ID received by said receiving means, making a query to said communication device by transmitting said at least two first IDs and receiving said at least one of said first IDs chosen from said at least two first IDs,

wherein said generating means for generating generates said schedule for distributing said contents identified by said at least one of said second IDs to said other device corresponding to said at least chosen one of said at least two first IDs received by said identifying means, and

wherein said distributing means for distributing distributes said contents to said other device corresponding to said at least chosen one of said at least two first IDs received by said identifying means according to said schedule generated by said generating means.

7. An information processing device, comprising:

a first managing unit configured to manage first IDs, each first ID identifying another device other than said information processing device itself;

a second managing unit configured to manage second IDs for identifying contents;

a supplying unit configured to supply at least one of said second IDs managed by said first managing unit to said other device making a request for distribution of said contents;

a user ID managing unit configured to manage a user ID corresponding to at least one of said first IDs;

a receiving unit configured to receive said at least one of said first IDs and said at least one of said second IDs from said other device;

an identifying unit configured to identify said at least one of said first IDs corresponding to said user ID received by said receiving unit;

a generating unit configured to generate a schedule for distributing said contents identified by said at least one of said second IDs to said other device corresponding to said received at least one of said first IDs by said receiving unit;

a transmitting unit configured to transmit said schedule generated by said generating unit to said other device; and

a distributing unit configured to distribute said contents to said other device according to a request according to said schedule transmitted by said transmitting unit,

wherein said user ID managing unit manages said user IDs corresponding to at least two of said first IDs,

wherein said user ID managing unit manages said user IDs corresponding to said user ID received by said receiving unit, making a query to a communication device by transmitting said at least two IDs and receiving said at least one of said first IDs chosen from said at least two first IDs,

wherein said generating unit generates said schedule for distributing said contents identified by said at least one of said second IDs to said other device corresponding to said at least chosen one of said at least two first IDs received by said identifying unit, and

wherein said distributing unit distributes said contents to said other device corresponding to said at least chosen one of said at least two first IDs received by said identifying unit according to said schedule generated by said generating unit.

8. An information processing device, comprising:

first managing means for managing first IDs, each first ID identifying another device other than said information processing device itself;

second managing means for managing second IDs for identifying contents;

supplying means for supplying at least one of said second IDs managed by said second managing means to said other device upon said other device making a request for distribution of said contents;

identifying means for identifying at least one of said first IDs managed by said first managing means based upon information for identifying said at least one of said first IDs and said at least one of said second IDs received from said other device;

generating means for generating a schedule for distributing said contents identified by said at least one of said second IDs to said other device corresponding to said identified at least one of said first IDs in the event that said at least one of said first IDs has been identified by a specifying means; and

distributing means for distributing said contents according to said schedule generated by said generating means,

wherein in a event that the user having said other device has specified a point-in-time for distributing said contents through said other device, said generating means determines whether or not transmission of said contents can be performed at the specified point-in-time, and in the event that determination has been made that the transmission can be performed, said generating means generates said schedule for transmission of said contents with the specified transmission point-in-time,

wherein in a event that said identifying means identify two first IDs of said first IDs based upon the information received from said other device, said identifying means identify one first ID of said two first IDs as a billing user ID for identifying the user which is to be billed for said contents, and the other first ID of said two first IDs as a destination ID for identifying the destination device for receiving said contents, and

wherein said generating means generates a schedule for billing the user identified by said billing user ID, and distributes said contents to said other device identified by said destination ID.

9. An information processing method implemented at least in part at an information processing device, comprising:

managing, first IDs, each first ID identifying an other device other than said information processing device itself;

managing second IDs for identifying contents;

managing a user ID corresponding to at least one of said first IDs;

supplying at least one of said second IDs to said other device making a request for distribution of said contents;

receiving said user ID, at least one of said first IDs and said at least one of said second IDs from said other device;

generating a schedule for distributing said contents identified by said at least one of said second IDs to said other device corresponding to said received at least one of said first IDs;

transmitting said schedule generated by said generating means to said other device; and

distributing said contents to said other device according to a request according to said schedule transmitted;

identifying at least two of said first IDs corresponding to said user ID received, making a query to said other device by transmitting said at least two first IDs and receiving said at least one of said first IDs chosen from said at least two first IDs; and

distributing said contents to said other device corresponding to said at least chosen one of said at least two first IDs received by said identifying according to said schedule generated by said generating.

10. A computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions which when executed by a computer cause a processor to execute a method comprising:

managing, first IDs, each first ID identifying an other device other than said information processing device itself;

managing second IDs for identifying contents;

managing a user ID corresponding to at least one of said first IDs;

supplying at least one of said second IDs to said other device making a request for distribution of said contents;

receiving said user ID, at least one of said first IDs and said at least one of said second IDs from said other device;

generating a schedule for distributing said contents identified by said at least one of said second IDs to said other device corresponding to said received at least one of said first IDs;

transmitting said schedule generated by said generating means to said other device; and

distributing said contents to said other device according to a request according to said schedule transmitted;

identifying at least two of said first IDs corresponding to said user ID received, making a query to a communication device by transmitting said at least two first IDs and receiving said at least one of said first IDs chosen from said at least two first IDs;

generating said schedule for distributing said contents identified by said at least one second ID of said second IDs to said other device corresponding to at least chosen one of said at least two first IDs received by said identifying; and

distributing said contents to said other device corresponding to said at least chosen one of said at least two first IDs received by said identifying according to said schedule generated by said generating.