Contents reproducing device, contents processing device, contents distribution server, contents reproducing method, contents processing method, and program

• US 7,778,927 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kawakami, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustin; Evens J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cheung; Calvin K
• Application Number:
  US10/567,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20080167954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• Field of Search: 705/59
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1086 Superdistribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0071 involving a purchase action

Abstract

A content reproduction apparatus includes a group ID storage section L for storing a group ID produced uniquely in a unit of a user; a radio transmitter section 524 for transmitting a content stored in a storage medium by radio communication; a radio receiver section 522 for receiving a content transmitted from a different apparatus by radio communication; a reproduction permission/inhibition decision section 242 for deciding whether or not the content can be reproduced; a reproduction execution section 244 for reproducing the content received by the radio receiver section; an ID recording section 539 for recording a content ID and the group ID into a first list; and a data communication section 220 for transmitting the content ID and the group ID recorded in the first list to a content distribution server.

Claims

1. A content reproduction apparatus, comprising:

a group ID storage section configured to store a group ID produced uniquely according to a user account when said content reproduction apparatus is registered to the user account in a management server;

a radio transmitter section configured to transmit content stored in a content storage section to a different apparatus by radio communication;

a radio receiver section configured to receive content transmitted from the different apparatus by radio communication;

a reproduction decision section configured to determine, based on a group ID included in the received content and the group ID stored in said group ID storage section, whether or not the content received by said radio receiver section can be reproduced;

a reproduction execution section configured to reproduce the content received by said radio receiver section when said reproduction permission/inhibition decision section determines that the content can be reproduced;

an ID recording section configured to record in an ID storage section a content ID and group ID corresponding to content reproduced by said reproduction execution section; and

a data communication section configured to transmit the content ID and the group ID recorded in said ID storage section to a content distribution server, when the content reproduction apparatus is directly or indirectly connected to the content distribution server.

2. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said content reproduction apparatus includes a body section and a headphones section, said body section includes said radio transmitter section, said ID recording section and said data communication section, and said headphones section includes said radio receiver section, said reproduction permission/inhibition decision section and said reproduction execution section.

3. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reproduction permission information setting section configured to apply to the content reproduction permission information for permitting reproduction of the content to be transmitted from said radio transmitter section.

4. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said reproduction permission/inhibition decision section determines whether the content can be reproduced based on the reproduction permission information applied to the content received by said radio receiver section.

5. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display control section configured to output a message to a display apparatus, when said radio receiver section receives a content transmitted from the different apparatus by radio communication, the message indicating reception of the content.

6. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reproduction control section configured to control, when said radio receiver section receives a content transmitted from the different apparatus by radio communication, said reproduction execution section to interrupt reproduction of a content stored in a storage medium provided in said content reproduction apparatus and reproduce the content transmitted from the different apparatus by radio communication.

7. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said reproduction control section controls, when said radio receiver section receives a content transmitted from the different apparatus by radio communication and reliability information included in the content has a value higher than a predetermined value, said reproduction control section to interrupt the reproduction of the content stored in the storage medium provided in said content reproduction apparatus and reproduce the content transmitted from the different apparatus by radio communication.

8. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said reproduction control section controls, when said radio receiver section receives a content transmitted from the different apparatus by radio communication and the group ID included in the content and the group ID provided from the distribution server coincide with each other, said reproduction control section to interrupt the reproduction of the content stored in the storage medium provided in said content reproduction apparatus and reproduce the content transmitted from the different apparatus by radio communication.

9. A content processing apparatus, comprising:

a connection decision section configured to decide whether a connection is to be established to a content reproduction apparatus which stores a group ID produced uniquely according to a user account when said content processing apparatus is registered in the user account in a management server;

a first communication section configured to communicate with the content reproduction apparatus, when said connection decision section decides that a connection is to be established, the first communication section receiving a content ID corresponding to content reproduced by the content reproduction apparatus and the group ID stored in said content reproduction apparatus;

a second communication section configured to communicate with a content distribution server, the second communication section transmitting the content ID and the group ID to the content distribution server which provides a content download service; and

a content storage section configured to store additional content corresponding to the content ID transmitted from said content distribution server and received through said second communication section, the contents stored in said content storage section being transmitted to said content reproduction apparatus through said first communication section.

10. The content processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said second communication section receives reliability information corresponding to the group ID from said content distribution server, and

said first communication section transmits the reliability information received by said second communication section to said content reproduction apparatus.

11. The content processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said second communication section receives a reliable group ID from said content distribution server, and

said first communication section transmits the received reliable group ID to said content reproduction apparatus.

12. A content reproduction controlling method for controlling a content reproduction apparatus to reproduce a content, comprising:

storing, into a group ID storage section, a group ID produced uniquely in accordance with a user account when said content reproduction apparatus is registered in the user account on a management server;

transmitting, via a radio transmitter, content stored in a content storage section to a different apparatus by radio communication;

receiving, via a radio receiver, content transmitted from the different apparatus by radio communication;

deciding, in a reproduction decision section and based on a group ID included in the received content and the group ID stored in said group ID storage section, whether or not the received content can be reproduced;

reproducing, in a content reproduction section, the received content when content reproduction is decided;

recording a content ID and the group ID corresponding to the reproduced content into an ID storage section; and

transmitting, from a transmitter, the content ID and the group ID recorded in said ID storage section to said content distribution server, when the content reproduction apparatus and a content distribution server are directly or indirectly connected.

13. A content processing method for controlling a content processing apparatus to process a content, comprising:

deciding, in a connection decision section, whether connection is to be established to a content reproduction apparatus which stores a group ID produced uniquely according to a user account when said content processing apparatus is registered in the user account on a management server;

receiving, at a receiver and when connection to said content reproduction apparatus is to be established, a content ID corresponding to content reproduced in the content reproduction apparatus and the group ID stored in said content reproduction apparatus;

transmitting, from a transmitter, the content ID and the group ID to a content distribution server which provides a content download;

storing a additional content corresponding to the content ID received from said content distribution server into a content storage section; and

transmitting the stored additional contents to said content reproduction apparatus.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions thereon, the computer-readable instructions when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the method comprising:

storing, into a group ID storage section of a content reproduction apparatus, a group ID produced uniquely according to a user account when said content reproduction apparatus is registered in the user account on a management server;

transmitting, from the content reproduction apparatus, content stored in a content storage section to a different apparatus by radio communication;

receiving, at the content reproduction apparatus, content transmitted from the different apparatus by radio communication;

deciding, based on a group ID included in the received content and the group ID stored in said group ID storage section, whether the received content can be reproduced;

reproducing the received content when content reproduction is decided;

recording a content ID corresponding to the reproduced content and the group ID added to the content into an ID storage section; and

transmitting, from the content reproduction apparatus, the content ID and the group ID recorded in said ID storage section to said content distribution server, when the content reproduction apparatus and the content distribution server are directly or indirectly connected.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions thereon, the computer-readable instructions when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the method comprising:

deciding, at a content processing apparatus, whether connection is to be established to a content reproduction apparatus which stores a group ID produced uniquely according to a user account when said content processing apparatus is registered in the user account on a management server;

receiving, at the content processing apparatus, when the connection to said content reproduction apparatus is to be established, content ID corresponding to reproduced content and the group ID stored in said content reproduction apparatus;

transmitting the content ID and the group ID to a content distribution server which provides a content download;

storing additional content corresponding to the content ID and received from said content distribution server into a content storage section of the content processing apparatus; and

transmitting the additional stored contents to said content reproduction apparatus.