Electronic musical apparatus, music contents distributing site, music contents processing method, music contents distributing method, music contents processing program, and music contents distributing program

• US 7,720,934 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Umezawa, Satoru, Yanase, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr.; William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gupta; Muktesh G
• Application Number:
  US11/019,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20050195695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,974 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/217, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/228, 369/30.06, 713/176, 713/182, 726/26, 705/82, 380/2
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

An electronic musical apparatus for use in a music contents distribution processing system which makes it possible to selectively use usage modes such as downloading of music contents from a music contents distributing site to a user terminal (electronic musical apparatus) and streaming of such music contents in a simple manner. A distribution mode designating file indicative of whether music contents are to be distributed from the music contents distributing site in a download mode or a streaming mode is received and interpreted. The music contents received from the music contents distributing site are processed in the download mode or the streaming mode according to the result of the interpretation.

Claims

1. An electronic musical apparatus comprising:

a page data receiving device that receives music contents distribution page data including a list of music contents providable to the electronic musical apparatus and types of designatable usage modes;

a usage mode instruction sending device that instructs a music contents distributing site to provide designated music contents and a designated usage mode;

a distribution mode receiving device that receives a distribution mode designating file indicative of whether the designated music contents are to be distributed from the music contents distributing site in a download mode or a streaming mode;

a distribution mode interpreting device that interprets the received distribution mode designating file;

a contents receiving device that receives the designated music contents from the music contents distributing site; and

a contents processing device that performs processing on the received designated music contents in the download mode or the streaming mode according to a result of the interpretation by said distribution mode interpreting device,

wherein both the music contents distribution page data and the distribution mode designating file are separate from the designated music contents to be received, and are received in advance of the designated music contents to be received, and

wherein the distribution mode designating file includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) indicative of a location of the corresponding music contents in the music contents distributing site, and a distribution type indicative of the mode in which the corresponding music contents is to be distributed to the electronic musical apparatus.

2. An electronic musical apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage device comprising at least a first storage medium and a second storage medium, and

wherein in the download mode, said contents processing device permanently stores the designated music contents received by said contents receiving device in said first storage medium, and in the streaming mode, said contents processing device temporarily stores the designated music contents received by said contents receiving device in said second storage medium and automatically starts reproducing the stored music contents.

3. An electronic musical apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the music contents comprise a plurality of contents including at least download contents and preview contents, each including a plurality of types of data including at least song data and style data; and

said contents receiving device receives the download contents in the download mode, and receives the preview contents in the streaming mode.

4. An electronic musical apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said first storage medium comprises a plurality of storage areas, and said contents processing device stores the download contents in respective ones of the storage areas corresponding to the types of the download contents.

5. An electronic musical apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in the download mode, said contents processing device temporarily stores the designated music contents received by said contents receiving device in said first storage medium, but never automatically reproduces the music contents stored in said first storage medium.

6. A music contents distributing site comprising:

a page data sending device that sends to a user terminal music contents distribution page data including a list of music contents and types of usage modes that are designatable;

a usage instruction receiving device that receives an instruction indicative of a music contents usage mode from the user terminal;

a distribution mode sending device that sends a distribution mode designating file indicative of whether processing on music contents to be distributed is to be performed in a download mode or a streaming mode to the user terminal according to contents of the received instruction; and

a contents sending device that sends the music contents to the user terminal according to a request to distribute the music contents received from the user terminal,

wherein both the music contents distribution page data and the distribution mode designating file are separate from the music contents to be sent, and are sent in advance of the music contents to be sent, and

wherein the distribution mode designating file includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) indicative of a location of the corresponding music contents in the music contents distributing site, and a distribution type indicative of the mode in which the corresponding music contents is to be distributed to the user terminal.

7. A music contents distributing site according to claim 6, further comprising a charging device that carries out a charging process according to the instruction indicative of the music contents usage mode received by said usage instruction receiving device, and

wherein said distribution mode sending device sends the distribution mode designating file after the charging process is carried out by said charging device.

8. A music contents distributing site according to claim 7, wherein:

the music contents comprise a plurality of contents including at least download contents and preview contents, each including a plurality of types of data including at least song data and style data; and

when the distribution mode designating file designates processing in the download mode, said contents sending device sends the download contents via the download mode, and when the distribution mode designating file designates processing in the streaming mode, said contents sending device sends one of the download contents or the preview contents via the streaming mode.

9. A music contents processing method comprising:

a page data receiving step of receiving music contents distribution page data including a list of music contents providable to an electronic musical instrument and types of designatable usage modes;

a usage mode instruction sending step of instructing a music contents distributing site to provide designated music contents and a designated usage mode;

a distribution mode receiving step of receiving a distribution mode designating file indicative of whether the designated music contents are to be distributed from the music contents distributing site in a download mode or a streaming mode;

a distribution mode interpreting step of interpreting the received distribution mode designating file;

a contents receiving step of receiving the designated music contents from the music contents distributing site; and

a contents processing step of performing processing on the received designated music contents in the download mode or the streaming mode according to a result of the interpretation in said distribution mode interpreting step,

wherein both the music contents distribution page data and the distribution mode designating file are separate from the designated music contents to be received, and are received in advance of the designated music contents to be received, and

wherein the distribution mode designating file includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) indicative of a location of the corresponding music contents in the music contents distributing site, and a distribution type indicative of the mode in which the corresponding music contents is to be distributed to the electronic musical instrument.

10. A music contents distributing method comprising:

a page data sending step of sending to a user terminal music contents distribution page data including a list of music contents providable to the user terminal and types of usage modes that are designatable;

a usage instruction receiving step of receiving an instruction indicative of a music contents usage mode from the user terminal;

a distribution mode sending step of sending a distribution mode designating file indicative of whether processing on music contents to be distributed is to be performed in a download mode or a streaming mode to the user terminal according to contents of the received instruction; and

a contents sending step of sending the music contents to the user terminal according to a request to distribute the music contents received from the user terminal,

wherein both the music contents distribution page data and the distribution mode designating file are separate from the music contents to be sent, and are sent in advance of the music contents to be sent, and

wherein the distribution mode designating file includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) indicative of a location of the corresponding music contents in the music contents distributing site, and a distribution type indicative of the mode in which the corresponding music contents is to be distributed to the user terminal.

11. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program for distributing music contents, the computer program comprising:

a page data receiving module for receiving music contents distribution page data including a list of music contents providable to an electronic musical instrument and types of designatable usage modes;

a usage mode instruction sending module for instructing a music contents distributing site to provide designated music contents and a designated usage mode;

a distribution mode receiving module for receiving a distribution mode designating file indicative of whether the designated music contents are to be distributed from the music contents distributing site in a download mode or a streaming mode;

a distribution mode interpreting module for interpreting the received distribution mode designating file;

a contents receiving module for receiving the designated music contents from the music contents distributing site; and

a contents processing module for performing processing on the received designated music contents in the download mode or the streaming mode according to a result of the interpretation by said distribution mode interpreting module,

wherein both the music contents distribution page data and the distribution mode designating file are separate file from the designated music contents to be received, and are received in advance of the designated music contents to be received, and

wherein the distribution mode designating file includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) indicative of a location of the corresponding music contents in the music contents distributing site, and a distribution type indicative of the mode in which the corresponding music contents is to be distributed to the electronic musical instrument.

12. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program for processing music, the computer program comprising:

a page data sending module for sending to a user terminal music contents distribution page data including a list of music contents providable to the user terminal and types of designatable usage modes;

a usage instruction receiving module for receiving an instruction indicative of a music contents usage mode from the user terminal;

a distribution mode sending module for sending a distribution mode designating file indicative of whether music contents to be distributed are to be processed in a download mode or a streaming mode to the user terminal according to contents of the received instruction; and

a contents sending module for sending the music contents to the user terminal according to a request to distribute the music contents received from the user terminal,

wherein both the music contents distribution page data and the distribution mode designating file are separate from the music contents to be sent, and are sent in advance of the music contents to be sent, and

wherein the distribution mode designating file includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) indicative of a location of the corresponding music contents in the music contents distributing site, and a distribution type indicative of the mode in which the corresponding music contents is to be distributed to the user terminal.