Data communication system, portable electronic device, server device, data communication method, and data communication program

• US 7,831,757 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2008
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Habuto, Reiko, Furue, Nobuki, Kubota, Yoshiyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Stiglic; Ryan M
• Application Number:
  US12/106,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20080263252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 710/303
• US Class Current: 710/303
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations

Abstract

A data communication system including a portable electronic device, a server device and a cradle device for mediating transmission and reception of data between the portable electronic device and the server device.

Claims

1. A data communication system comprising:

a portable electronic device;

a server device; and

a cradle device configured to mediate communications between the portable electronic device and the server device,

wherein the portable electronic device includes

a controller configured to generate first data including metadata corresponding to content data stored at the portable electronic device or device information corresponding to the portable electronic device, and

an interface configured to transmit the first data to the server device via the cradle device,

the cradle device includes

an interface configured to communicate with the portable electronic device,

an interface configured to communicate with the server device, and

a controller configured to receive the first data from the portable electronic device and transmit the received first data to the server device, and

the server device includes

an interface configured to receive the first data from the portable electronic device via the cradle device, and

a controller configured to perform a process based on the received data, the process including providing maintenance information to the portable electronic device when the first data includes device information corresponding to the portable electronic device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the controller at the server device is configured to obtain content data based on the received first data when the first data includes right information corresponding to the content data as metadata on the content data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the controller, at the server device, is configured to perform notification of a state of use of content data corresponding to the content data in the server device, or continuous reproduction of the content data corresponding to the content data in the server device when the first data includes log information reflecting usage of the content data at the portable electronic device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the server device further includes

the controller configured to form second data directed to the portable electronic device, the second data including metadata corresponding to content data stored at the server device or device information corresponding to the server device, and

an interface controller configured to control transmission of the second data to the portable electronic device via the cradle device,

the controller in the cradle device is configured to receive the second data from the server device, and transmit the received second data to the portable electronic device, and

said portable electronic device further includes

an interface controller configured to control reception of the second data transmitted from the server device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the server device is configured to perform continuous reproduction of the content data when the first data includes log information of the content data.

6. A portable electronic device comprising:

an interface configured to communicate with a cradle device, the cradle device configured to mediate communication between the portable electronic device and a server device;

a controller configured to form first data, the first data including metadata corresponding to content data stored at the portable electronic device or device information corresponding to the portable electronic device; and

an interface controller configured to control transmission of the first data to the server device via the interface and receive, from the server device via the cradle device, maintenance information when the first data includes device information corresponding to the portable electronic device.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 6, wherein:

the interface controller is configured to control reception of second data transmitted from the server device, and

the controller is configured to perform a process according to the data received from the server device.

8. A cradle device, comprising:

a first interface configured to communicate with a portable electronic device;

a second interface configured to communicate with a server device; and

an interface control unit configured to control reception of first data directed to the server device, the first data including metadata corresponding to content data or device information corresponding to the portable electronic device, from the portable electronic device via the first interface, control transmission of the first data to the server device via the second interface, control reception of maintenance information from the server via the second interface when the first data includes device information corresponding to the portable electronic device, and transmit the received maintenance information to the portable electronic device via the first interface.

9. The cradle device of claim 8, wherein:

the interface control unit is configured to control reception of second data from the server device via the second interface, and control transmission of the second data to the portable electronic device via the first interface.

10. A server device, comprising:

an interface configured to communicate with the cradle device, the cradle device configured to mediate communication between a portable electronic device and the server device;

an interface control unit configured to control reception of first data directed to the server device, the first data including metadata corresponding to content data or device information related to the portable electronic device, and the first data being transmitted from the portable electronic device and received via the interface; and

a controller configured to perform a process according to the first data received from the portable electronic device, the process including providing maintenance information to the portable electronic device when the first data includes device information related to the portable electronic device.

11. The server device of claim 10, wherein said the first data includes right information corresponding to the content data, and the controller is configured to obtain content data corresponding to the right information.

12. The server device of claim 10, wherein the first data includes log information corresponding to the content data, and the controller is configured to perform at least one of notification of a state of use of content data corresponding to the content data in the server device or continuous reproduction of the content data corresponding to the content data in the server device.

13. The server device of claim 10, wherein:

the controller is configured to form second data directed to the portable electronic device, the second data including one of metadata corresponding to content data stored at the server device or device information corresponding to the server device; and

to the interface control unit is configured to control transmission of the second data to the portable electronic device.

14. The server device of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to perform continuous reproduction of the content data at the server device when the first data includes log information of the content data.

15. A data communication method used in a data communication system including a portable electronic device, a server device, and a cradle device for mediating communication between the portable electronic device and the server device, the data communication method comprising:

forming, at the portable electronic device, first data directed to the server device, the first data including metadata corresponding to content data stored at the portable electronic device or device information corresponding to the portable electronic device;

transmitting the first data from the portable electronic device to the cradle device;

receiving, at the cradle device, the first data transmitted from the portable electronic device;

transmitting the first data from the cradle device to the server device;

receiving, at the server device, the first data transmitted from the cradle device; and

performing a process at the server device based on the received first data received from the portable electronic device via the cradle device, the process including providing maintenance information to the portable electronic device when the first data includes device information corresponding to the portable electronic device.

16. The data communication method of claim 15, further comprising:

obtaining, at the server device, content data based on the first data, when the first data includes right information of the content data.

17. The data communication method of claim 15, further comprising:

notifying of a state of use of content data corresponding to the content data in the server device when the first data includes log information of the content data.

18. The data communication method of claim 15, further comprising:

performing continuous reproduction of the content data at the server device when the first data includes log information of the content data.

19. The data communication method of claim 15, further comprising:

forming, at the server device, second data directed to the portable electronic device, the second data including metadata corresponding to content data stored at the server device or device information corresponding to the server device;

transmitting the second data to the portable electronic device via the cradle device;

receiving, at the portable electronic device, the second data from the server device via the cradle device.

20. A computer-readable recording medium including computer program instructions, which when executed by a portable electronic device, cause the portable electronic device to perform a method comprising:

forming data directed to a server device, the data including metadata corresponding to content data stored at the portable electronic device or device information corresponding to the portable electronic device;

controlling the transmission of the data to the server device via a cradle device connected to both the portable electronic device and the server device; and

controlling reception, from the server device via the cradle device, maintenance information when the data includes device information corresponding to the portable electronic device.

21. A computer-readable recording medium including computer program instructions, which when executed by a server device, cause the server device to perform a method comprising:

controlling the reception of first data directed to the server device, the first data including metadata corresponding to content data or device information corresponding to a portable electronic device, the first data being transmitted from the portable electronic device via a cradle device connected to both the server device and the portable electronic device; and

performing a process based on said the first data received from the portable electronic device via the cradle device, the process including providing maintenance information to the portable electronic device when the first data includes device information corresponding to the portable electronic device.

22. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 21, further comprising:

forming second data directed to the portable electronic device, the second data including metadata corresponding to content data stored at the server device or device information corresponding to the server device; and

transmitting the second data to the portable electronic device via the cradle device.

23. A portable electronic device comprising:

means for communicating with a cradle device, the cradle device configured to mediate communication between the portable electronic device and a server device;

means for forming first data, the first data including metadata relating to content data stored at the portable electronic device or device information corresponding to the portable electronic device;

means for controlling transmission of the first data to the server device via the means for communicating; and

means for controlling reception, from the server device via the cradle device, maintenance information when the first data includes device information corresponding to the portable electronic device.

24. A cradle device, comprising:

means for communicating with a portable electronic device mounted on the cradle device;

means for communicating with a server device; and

means for controlling reception of first data directed to the server device, the first data including metadata corresponding to content data or device information corresponding to the portable electronic device, from the portable electronic device via the first interface, and controlling transmission of the first data to the server device via the second interface, controlling reception of maintenance information from the server via the means for communicating with the server device when the first data includes device information corresponding to the portable electronic device, and controlling transmission of the received maintenance information to the portable electronic device via the means for communicating with the portable electronic apparatus mounted on the cradle device.

25. A server device, comprising:

means for communicating with a cradle device, the cradle device configured to mediate communication between a portable electronic device and the server device;

means for controlling reception of first data directed to the server device, the first data including metadata corresponding to content data or device information related to the portable electronic device; and

means for performing a process according to the first data received from the portable electronic device, the process including providing maintenance information to the portable electronic device when the first data includes device information related to the portable electronic device.