Information processing device, content management method, content information management method, and computer program

• US 7,792,865 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2003
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hamada, Masaaki, Morita, Toshihiro, Igarashi, Tatsuya, Sakoh, Noriyuki, Tanaka, Yoshiki, Morita, Takehiko, Kikkawa, Norifumi, Kobori, Yoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson; Greta L
• Application Number:
  US10/543,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20060059168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,457 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/4, 707/100, 707/104.1, 707/10, 707/101, 707/102, 707/705, 707/763, 707/790, 707/791, 707/793, 707/796, 707/805, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 707/796
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping

Abstract

An apparatus and a method are provided, which enable to perform an improved management processing based on an identifier information of a content on a server. The content providing server sets content-associated unique identifier information as property information that is a component of content-associated metadata, maintains the unique identifier information as content-associated metadata without changing the unique identifier information even if the logical/physical position of a content stored in the storage unit is changed, and maintains a setting value of unique identifier information, which is set associated with a received content, as metadata associated with the received content without changing the setting value of the unique identifier information. By this configuration, even if a content is moved between servers, a client can acquire the content based on the unique identifier.

Claims

1. An information processing system connected to a network that executes content transmission processing in response to a request from a client through the network, the system comprising:

a first apparatus and a second apparatus, the first apparatus including;

a storage unit for storing a content and metadata associated with the content;

a data transmission/reception unit for executing data transmission/reception processing; and

a control unit for associating with the content a unique identifier as property information that is a component of the metadata, and for maintaining the unique identifier as metadata without changing the unique identifier when the content is transmitted to the second apparatus for storage, the unique identifier including at least two of a network content unique identifier, a reference object unique identifier, and a parent object unique identifier,

wherein;

upon storing the content a first time, the control unit assigns the unique identifier to the content,

the first apparatus receives the request for the content,

the first apparatus provides the unique identifier to the client,

the second apparatus receives a second request for the content, the second request including the unique identifier, and

the second apparatus provides the content to the client based on the unique identifier.

2. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the second apparatus searches for the content based on the unique identifier.

3. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the first apparatus provides the second apparatus with the unique identifier when the first apparatus transmits the content to the second apparatus.

4. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein:

the first apparatus creates the network content unique identifier based on content recording time information, device information, and a random number, and

the control unit manages the network content unique identifier, the reference object unique identifier, and the parent object unique identifier as fixed values of property information constituting metadata associated with the content.

5. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is stored in a unique identifier management table.

6. An information processing method for executing content transmission processing in response to a request from a client through a network, the method comprising:

storing, by a first apparatus, content and metadata associated with the content;

associating with the content a unique identifier as property information that is a component of the metadata, the unique identifier including at least two of a network content unique identifier, a reference object unique identifier, and a parent object unique identifier;

receiving the request from the client for the content;

providing the unique identifier to the client;

transferring the content to a second apparatus while maintaining the unique identifier as metadata without changing the unique identifier;

receiving a second request from the client for the content stored by the second apparatus; and

providing the content to the client,

wherein upon storing the content a first time, the unique identifier is assigned to the content as a fixed value associated with the content.

7. The information processing method of claim 6, further comprising performing a content search based on the unique identifier in response to the request, the request including the unique identifier.

8. The information processing method of claim 6, further comprising outputting, to the second apparatus, the unique identifier when transferring the content.

9. The information processing method of claim 6, wherein:

the network content unique identifier is created based on content recording time information, device information, and a random number, and

a control unit manages the network content unique identifier, the reference object unique identifier, and the parent object unique identifier as fixed values of property information constituting metadata associated with the content.

10. The information processing method of claim 6, further including storing the unique identifier in a unique identifier management table.

11. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions which, when executed by a processor, perform a method for executing content transmission processing in response to a request from a client through a network, the method comprising:

storing, by a first apparatus, content and metadata associated with the content;

associating with the content a unique identifier as property information that is a component of the metadata, the unique identifier including at least two of a network content unique identifier, a reference object unique identifier, and a parent object unique identifier;

receiving the request from the client for the content;

providing the unique identifier to the client;

transferring the content to a second apparatus while maintaining the unique identifier as metadata without changing the unique identifier;

receiving a second request from the client for the content stored by the second apparatus; and

providing the content to the client,

wherein upon storing the content a first time, the unique identifier is assigned to the content as a fixed value associated with the content.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises performing a content search based on the unique identifier in response to the request, the request including the unique identifier.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises outputting, to the second apparatus, the unique identifier when transferring the content.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein:

the network content unique identifier is created based on content recording time information, device information, and a random number, and

a control unit manages the network content unique identifier, the reference object unique identifier, and the parent object unique identifier as fixed values of property information constituting metadata associated with the content.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises storing the unique identifier in a unique identifier management table.