Systems and methods for transmitting content being reproduced

• US 7,870,222 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kii, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Shingles; Kristie D
• Application Number:
  US11/641,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20070169147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,483 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 709/231, 709/229, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an information communication terminal including: a storage unit for storing contents; a communication unit for carrying out a communication with an external apparatus; a content reproduction unit for reproducing a content stored in the storage unit; and an accessible-content setting unit for classifying contents into first category contents accessible by an external apparatus and second category contents inaccessible by an external apparatus and changing a content being reproduced by the content reproduction unit to a first category content if the content being reproduced is a second category content. The terminal further includes a transmission control unit for controlling the communication unit to transmit a first category content to an external apparatus if a request for the first category content is received from the external apparatus through said communication unit.

Claims

1. An information communication terminal comprising:

a storage unit configured to store contents;

a communication unit configured to communicate with an external apparatus;

a content reproduction unit configured to reproduce a content from the contents stored in the storage unit;

an accessible-content setting unit configured to;

classify the contents into a first category of the contents, which are accessible by the external apparatus, and a second category of the contents, which are inaccessible by the external apparatus;

change a classification of the content, while the content is being reproduced by the content reproduction unit, to the first category if the content being reproduced is classified according to the second category; and

change back the content being reproduced by the content reproduction unit from the first category to an original second category after reproduction of the content being reproduced is completed; and

a transmission control unit configured to control the communication unit to transmit contents classified according to the first category to the external apparatus upon receipt of a request for the contents classified according to the first category received from the external apparatus through the communication unit,

wherein if the reproduction of the content being reproduced is stopped while the transmission control unit is controlling the communication unit to transmit the content being reproduced to the external apparatus, then the accessible-content setting unit handles the content being reproduced as being classified according to the first category until the transmission control unit completes the controlling of the transmission of the content being reproduced to the external apparatus.

2. The information communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising

a notification unit configured to control the communication unit to notify the external apparatus of information on the content being reproduced, the notifying occurring through the communication unit.

3. The information communication terminal according to claim 1 wherein the transmission control unit controls the communication unit to transmit the contents that are categorized according to the first category to the external apparatus in a streaming format.

4. The information communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising

a reception control unit configured to control the communication unit to transmit a request to the external apparatus as a request for content and receiving the requested content from the external apparatus through the communication unit, wherein

the content reproduction unit reproduces the received content synchronously with the reproduction of the requested content in the external apparatus.

5. The information communication terminal according to claim 1 wherein the accessible-content setting unit sets a content stored in the storage unit as a first category by including the content stored in the storage unit on a playlist.

6. The information communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the accessible-content setting unit is configured to change the classification of the content from the second category to the first category in response to the content being reproduced by the content reproduction unit.

7. An information communication method comprising the steps of:

classifying contents stored in a storage unit into a first category of the contents, which are accessible by an external apparatus and a second category of the contents, which are inaccessible by the external apparatus;

reproducing a content from the contents stored in the storage unit;

changing, by a processor, the content, while the content is being reproduced, to the first category if the content being reproduced is classified according to the second category;

changing back the content being reproduced from the first category to an original second category after reproduction of the content being reproduced is completed; and

controlling a communication unit to transmit content classified according to the first category content to the external apparatus upon receipt of a request for the content classified according to the first category received from the external apparatus through the communication unit,

wherein if the reproduction of the content being reproduced is stopped during the step of controlling, then the method further comprises the step of handling the content being reproduced as being classified according to the first category until completion of the step of controlling.

8. The information communication method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of:

controlling the communication unit to notify the external apparatus of information on the content being reproduced.

9. The information communication method according to claim 7, wherein the step of controlling further comprises:

controlling the communication unit to transmit the contents that are categorized according to the first category to the external apparatus in a streaming format.

10. The information communication method according to claim 7, the method further comprising the steps of:

controlling the communication unit to transmit a request to the external apparatus as a request for content;

receiving the requested content from the external apparatus; and

reproducing the received content synchronously with the reproduction of the requested content in the external apparatus.

11. The information communication method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of:

setting a content stored in the storage unit as a first category by including the content stored in the storage unit on a playlist.

12. The information communication method of claim 7, wherein the step of changing the content further comprises:

changing the classification of the content from the second category to the first category in response to the reproduction of the content.

13. A recording medium storing a computer-readable program to be executed by a computer for carrying out processing comprising the steps of:

classifying contents stored in a storage unit into a first category of the contents, which is accessible by an external apparatus and a second category of the contents, which is inaccessible by the external apparatus;

reproducing a content from the contents stored in the storage unit;

changing, by a processor, the content, while the content is being reproduced, to the first category if the content being reproduced is classified according to the second category;

changing back the content being reproduced from the first category to an original second category after reproduction of the content being reproduced is completed; and

controlling a communication unit to transmit content classified according to the first category content to the external apparatus upon receipt of a request for the content classified according to the first category from the external apparatus through the communication unit,

wherein if the reproduction of the content being reproduced is stopped during the step of controlling, then the method further comprises the step of handling the content being reproduced as being classified according to the first category until completion of the step of controlling.

14. An information communication system comprising:

a first information communication terminal; and

a second information communication terminal, wherein

the first information communication terminal includes;

a first storage unit configured to store contents,

a first communication unit configured to communicate with the second information communication terminal,

a first content reproduction unit configured to reproduce a content from the contents stored in the first storage unit,

a first accessible-content setting unit configured to;

classify the contents into a first category of the contents, which are accessible by the second information communication terminal and a second category of the contents, which are inaccessible by the second information communication terminal,

changing a classification of the content, while the content is being reproduced by the first content reproduction unit, to the first category if the content being reproduced is classified according to the second category, and

change back the content being reproduced by the content reproduction unit from the first category to an original second category after reproduction of the content being reproduced is completed; and

a transmission control unit configured to control the first communication unit to transmit the content classified according to the first category being reproduced by the first content reproduction unit to the second information communication terminal upon receipt of a request for the contents classified according to the first category received from the second information communication terminal through the first communication unit, wherein if the reproduction of the content being reproduced is stopped while the transmission control unit is controlling the communication unit to transmit the content being reproduced to the external apparatus, then the accessible-content setting unit handles the content being reproduced as being classified according to the first category until the transmission control unit completes the controlling of the transmission of the content being reproduced to the external apparatus, and further wherein,

the second information communication terminal includes

a second communication unit configured to communicate with the first information communication terminal,

a reception control unit configured to control the second communication unit to transmit a request to the first information communication terminal as a request for the contents classified according to the first category content being reproduced by the first information communication terminal and receive the content, and

a second content reproduction unit configured to reproduce the received content.