Content distribution system, distribution method, content processing device, and processing method

• US 7,739,413 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2004
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shimoji, Tatsuya, Dewa, Yoshiharu, Kitazato, Naohisa, Matsui, Yoshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hussain; Imad
• Application Number:
  US10/553,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20060190320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,244 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/250, 705/1, 705/50, 715/748
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6334 for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention provided a content delivery system that can deliver content by way of the Internet. In the system, a browser requests a content server to deliver a startup file. The content server transmits the startup file to the browser. The startup file describes that the content is to be delivered by streaming or that it is to be delivered by downloaded files. A content reproducing section determines if the content is that to be delivered by streaming or that to be delivered by downloaded files according to the description of the startup file it receives from the browser. A television receiving set may be used as content processing apparatus for receiving the delivery of the content from a content delivery apparatus of such a system.

Claims

1. A content delivery method for a content delivery system for delivering content from a content delivery apparatus to a content processing apparatus by way of a network, the method comprising:

presenting a list of a plurality of sets of content including at least a set of content to be delivered by streaming and a set of content to be delivered by downloaded files at a content processing apparatus;

inputting specifying information specifying the set of content, from the sets of content on the list, to be delivered to the content processing apparatus from the content delivery apparatus;

receiving, by the content processing apparatus from the content delivery apparatus, a startup file specifying streaming or downloaded file as a method of content delivery, said startup file corresponding to a license of the specified set of content; and

automatically acquiring by the content processing apparatus, without receiving a user input selecting streaming or downloaded file as the method of content delivery, the set of content delivered from the content delivery apparatus according to the startup file.

2. A content processing apparatus adapted to receive deliveries of content from a content delivery apparatus by way of a network, the apparatus comprising:

means for presenting a list of a plurality of sets of content including at least a set of content to be delivered by streaming and a set of content to be delivered by downloaded files;

means for inputting specifying information specifying the set of content to be delivered from the sets of content on the list;

means for receiving from the content delivery apparatus a startup file specifying streaming or downloaded file as a method of content delivery, said startup file corresponding to a license of the specified set of content; and

means for automatically acquiring the set of content delivered from the content delivery apparatus by way of the network without selecting streaming or downloaded file as the method of content delivery according to the startup file.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the startup file further includes information for accessing the sets of content.

4. A content processing method to be used for a content processing apparatus adapted to receive deliveries of content from a content delivery apparatus by way of a network, the method comprising:

presenting, by a display of said content processing apparatus, a list of a plurality of sets of content including at least a set of content to be delivered by streaming and a set of content to be delivered by downloaded files;

inputting, at an interface of said content processing apparatus, specifying information specifying the set of content to be delivered from the sets of content on the list;

receiving, by a receiver of said content processing apparatus, from the content delivery apparatus a startup file specifying streaming or downloaded file as a method of content delivery, said startup file corresponding to a license of a set of content; and

automatically acquiring the set of content delivered from the content delivery apparatus by way of the network without selecting streaming or downloaded file as the method of content delivery according to the startup file.

5. A computer-readable recording medium including computer executable instructions, which when executed by the content processing apparatus, cause the content processing apparatus to perform a method comprising:

presenting a list of a plurality of sets of content including at least a set of content to be delivered by streaming and a set of content to be delivered by downloaded files;

inputting specifying information specifying the set of content to be delivered from the sets of content on the list;

receiving from the content delivery apparatus a startup file specifying streaming or downloaded file as a method of content delivery, said startup file corresponding to a license of a set of content; and

automatically acquiring the set of content delivered from the content delivery apparatus by way of the network without receiving a user input selecting streaming or downloaded file as the method of content delivery according to the startup file.

6. A content processing apparatus adapted to receive deliveries of content from a content delivery apparatus by way of a network, the apparatus comprising:

a display configured to present a list of a plurality of sets of content including at least a set of content to be delivered by streaming and a set of content to be delivered by downloaded files;

an interface configured to accept input specifying information specifying the set of content to be delivered from the sets of content on the list;

a receiver configured to receive from the content delivery apparatus a startup file specifying streaming or downloaded file as a method of content delivery, said startup file corresponding to a license of the specified set of content; and

an acquisition unit configured to automatically acquire the set of content delivered from the content delivery apparatus by way of the network without selecting streaming or downloaded file as the method of content delivery according to the startup file.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the startup file further includes information for accessing the sets of content.