Information communication terminal, information distribution apparatus, information distribution system, content management method, broadcast reception method, information distribution method, programs and storage medium

• US 8,255,488 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Izuru, Inoue, Hiraku
• Primary Examiner(s): Pwu, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khajuria, Shripal
• Application Number:
  US10/512,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20050203992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,400 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/433 using audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio

Abstract

In a server serving as an information distribution apparatus and an information communication terminal, contents are managed by using content identifiers (content IDs) managed as IDs conforming to a rule of uniformity. Particularly, in the information communication terminal, a content ripped from a recording medium such as a CD, and stored in a storage element, such as a had disk drive, is also managed by using a content identifier acquired from the information distribution apparatus. In this way, contents stored in the storage element can be managed by using content IDs each managed as an ID common to the information communication terminal and the information distribution apparatus. In communication between the information communication terminal and the information distribution apparatus, a content identifier conforming to a rule of uniformity is used for identifying a content to which the content identifier is assigned, so that the terminal is capable of downloading the content as well as acquiring additional information relevant to the content from the apparatus.

Claims

1. A data distribution apparatus comprising:

a communication unit configured to communicate with a data communication apparatus through a network, and to receive from the data communication apparatus first content identification data identifying content data stored in a memory of the data communication apparatus;

a storage unit configured to store a content list including second content identification data identifying a plurality of recommended content data;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the first content identification data received by said communication unit from the data communication apparatus is on said content list stored in said storage unit when the communication unit receives the first content identification data from the data communication apparatus, and to determine which of the plurality of recommended content data is stored in the memory of the data communication apparatus based on the first content identification data received by the communication unit from the data communication apparatus on the content list stored in the storage unit, wherein the second content identification data corresponds or relates to the content data stored in the memory of the data communication apparatus, the content data being stored in the memory of the data communication apparatus based on at least one operation of the data communication apparatus by a user; and

a communication control unit configured to control said communication unit to transmit said content list and, when the determination unit determines the first content identification data is on said content list, determination results produced by said determination unit to said data communication apparatus, the determination results indicating which of the first content identification data received by said communication unit is on said content list.

2. A data communication system comprising a data communication apparatus and a data distribution apparatus,

wherein said data distribution apparatus comprises:

a first communication unit configured to communicate with an external apparatus through a network;

a first storage unit configured to store a content list including at least first content identification data identifying a plurality of recommended content data; and

a first communication control unit configured to control said first communication unit to transmit said content list to said data communication apparatus, and wherein

said data communication apparatus comprises;

a second communication unit configured to communicate with said data distribution apparatus through said network;

a second storage unit configured to store content data read from a recording medium or received, in accordance with at least one operation by a user of the data communication apparatus, by associating each of said content data with second content identification data identifying said content data;

a determination unit configured to determine whether the second content identification data identifying the content data stored in said second storage unit is included in said content list received by said second communication unit from said data distribution apparatus when the second communication unit receives the content list from the data distribution apparatus, and to determine which of the plurality of recommended content data is stored in the second storage unit of the data communication apparatus based on the second content identification data included in the content list received by the second communication unit, wherein the first content identification data corresponds or relates to the content data stored in the second storage unit; and

a display unit configured to display said content list and, when the determination unit determines the second content identification data is included in said content list, determination results produced by said determination unit, the determination results indicating which of the second content identification data is included in the content list.

3. A data distribution method implemented on a data distribution apparatus, the method comprising:

storing, by the data distribution apparatus, a content list including at least first content identification data identifying a plurality of recommended content data; and

transmitting, by the data distribution apparatus, said content list to a data communication apparatus operable by a user to request the transmission of the content list;

wherein the first content identification data included in the content list corresponds or relates to content data stored in a memory of the data communication apparatus, wherein the content data has been stored in the memory based on at least one operation of the data communication apparatus by the user to read from a recording medium, or receive, the content data, and wherein the data communication apparatus determines whether second content identification data identifying the content data stored in the memory of the data communication apparatus is included in the content list when the data communication apparatus receives the content list from the data distribution apparatus, and determines which of the plurality of recommended content data is stored in the memory of the data communication apparatus based on the second content identification data included in the content list transmitted in the transmitting step.

4. A data distribution method implemented on a data distribution apparatus, the method comprising;

receiving from a data communication apparatus first content identification data identifying content data stored in a memory of the data communication apparatus;

storing a content list including at least second content identification data each identifying recommended content data;

determining, by the data distribution apparatus, whether or not the first content identification data received from the data communication apparatus operable by a user is included in said stored content list when the first content identification data is received from the data communication apparatus in the receiving step, and determining which of a plurality of recommended content data is stored in the memory of the data communication apparatus based on the first content identification data received in the receiving step included in the content list stored in the storing step, wherein the second content identification data corresponds or relates to the content data stored in the memory of the data communication apparatus, the content data being stored in the memory of the data communication apparatus based on at least one operation of the data communication apparatus by the user to read from a recording medium, or receive, the content data; and

transmitting, by the data distribution apparatus, said content list and, when the first content identification data is determined to be included in said stored content list in the determining step, a result of the determination in the determining step to said data communication apparatus, the result of the determination indicating which of the first content identification data is included in said stored content list.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embedded therein instructions, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

storing a content list including at least first content identification data each used for identifying recommended content data; and

transmitting said content list to a data communication apparatus operable by a user to request the transmission of the content list, wherein the data communication apparatus manages content data stored in a memory of the data communication apparatus based on the first content identification data included in the transmitted content list, wherein the content data has been stored in the memory based on at least one operation of the data communication apparatus by the user, and the content identification data corresponds or relates to the content data stored in the memory of the data communication apparatus, and wherein the data communication apparatus determines whether second content identification data identifying the content data stored in the memory of the data communication apparatus is included in the content list when the data communication apparatus receives the content list from the data distribution apparatus, and determines which of a plurality of recommended content data is stored in the memory of the data communication apparatus based on the content identification data included in the content list transmitted in the transmitting step.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embedded therein instructions, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving from a data communication apparatus first content identification data identifying content data stored in a memory of the data communication apparatus;

storing a content list including at least second content identification data each used for identifying recommended content data;

determining whether or not the first content identification data received from the data communication apparatus is included in said stored content list when the first content identification data is received from the data communication apparatus in the receiving step, and determining which of a plurality of recommended content data is stored in the memory of the data communication apparatus based on the first content identification data received in the receiving step included in the content list stored in the storing step; and

transmitting said content list and, when the first content identification data is determined to be included in said stored content list in the determining step, a result of the determination in the determining step to said data communication apparatus that transmitted said first content identification data, wherein the result of the determination indicates which of the first content identification data is included in said stored content list and the second content identification data corresponds or relates to content data stored in a memory of the data communication apparatus, the content data being stored in the memory of the data communication apparatus based on at least one operation of the data communication apparatus by a user to read from a recording medium, or receive, the content data.

7. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store content data;

a communication unit configured to communicate with an external apparatus; and

a control unit configured to

control the communication unit to transmit a request,

control the communication unit to receive a recommendation list related to the request,

judge whether a plurality of content data registered in the recommendation list are stored in the information processing apparatus or not when the recommendation list related to the request is received,

judge which of the plurality of content data registered in the recommendation list is stored in the storage unit based on content identification data identifying the content data stored in the storage unit on the recommendation list received by the communication unit, and

control a display unit to display purchase recommendation information based on the recommendation list,

wherein the purchase recommendation information does not allow a user to purchase content data which is judged as the content data stored in the information processing apparatus.

8. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store content data;

a communication unit configured to communicate with an external apparatus; and

a control unit configured to

control the communication unit to transmit a request,

control the communication unit to receive a content list related to the request,

judge whether a plurality of content data included in the content list are stored in the storage unit or not when the content list related to the request is received,

judge which of the plurality of content data included in the content list is stored in the storage unit based on content identification data identifying the content data stored in the storage unit on the content list received by the communication unit, and

control a display unit to display a purchase selection in the content list,

wherein the control unit displays a message representing the content has been stored in the storage unit based on a determination that the purchase selection is selected.