Contents distribution system, contents distribution server, contents reproduction terminal, and contents distribution method

• US 8,448,213 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2007
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Sumiyoshi, Yasuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDRAMUNO, FRANKLIN S
• Application Number:
  US11/775,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20080010660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,143 Days
• Field of Search: 725/105, 725/107
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Provided is a contents distribution system including: a unit for dividing contents data stored in a contents distribution server into segments and distributing the contents data segments, the contents data being reproducible for a predetermined period of time; a unit for distributing the contents data segments by varying sizes of the contents data segments in accordance with contents processing information notified by a contents reproduction terminal; a unit for receiving and storing the contents data segments distributed by the contents distribution server and reproducing the same in real time; and a unit for notifying the contents distribution server of the contents processing information indicating a processing status of the contents data segments distributed.

Claims

1. A contents distribution system, comprising:

means for dividing contents data stored in a contents distribution server into segments and distributing the contents data segments, the contents data being reproducible for a predetermined period of time;

means for distributing the contents data segments by varying sizes of the contents data segments in accordance with contents processing information notified by a contents reproduction terminal;

means for receiving and storing the contents data segments distributed by the contents distribution server and reproducing the same in real time; and

means for notifying the contents distribution server of the contents processing information indicating a processing status of the contents data segments distributed;

wherein the means for distributing creates the contents data segments in accordance with the contents processing information, such that each of the contents data segments is distributed within the reproduction time of the contents data segments itself.

2. A contents distribution system, comprising:

a contents distribution server for dividing stored contents data into segments and distributing the contents data segments, the contents data being reproducible for a predetermined period of time; and

a contents reproduction terminal for receiving and storing the contents data segments distributed by the contents distribution server and reproducing the same in real time, wherein;

the contents reproduction terminal has a function of notifying the contents distribution server of contents processing information indicating a processing status of the contents data segments distributed; and

the contents distribution server has a function of distributing the contents data segments by varying sizes of the contents data segments in accordance with the contents processing information notified by the contents reproduction terminal;

wherein the contents distribution server creates the content data segments in accordance with the contents processing information, such that each of the contents data segments is distributed to the contents reproduction terminal within the reproduction time of the contents data segments itself.

3. A contents distribution server, comprising:

means for storing contents data reproducible for a predetermined period of time and means for distributing the contents data by dividing the contents data into segments such that the contents data is reproduced in real time while being received and stored by the contents reproduction terminal;

means for receiving, from the contents reproduction terminal, a notification of contents processing information indicating a processing status of the contents data segments distributed to the contents reproduction terminal;

means for creating the contents data segments by varying sizes of contents data segments in accordance with the contents processing information; and

means for distributing the contents data segments;

wherein the means for distributing creates the contents data segments in accordance with the contents processing information such that each of the contents data segments is distributed to the contents reproduction terminal within the reproduction time of the contents data segments itself.

4. A contents distribution server for storing contents data reproducible for a predetermined period of time and distributing the contents data by dividing the contents data into segments such that the contents data is reproduced in real time while being received and stored by a contents reproduction terminal, the contents distribution server comprising:

a communications processor for receiving, from the contents reproduction terminal, a notification of contents processing information indicating a processing status of the contents data segments distributed to the contents reproduction terminal;

a moving image segmentation processor for creating the contents data segments by varying sizes of contents data segments in accordance with the contents processing information; and

a moving image distribution processor for distributing the contents data segments;

wherein the moving image segmentation processor creates the contents data segments in accordance with the contents processing information such that each of the contents data segments is distributed to the contents reproduction terminal within the reproduction time of the contents data segments itself.

5. A contents distribution server according to claim 4, wherein the contents processing information includes information indicating a reception and processing status of the contents data segments in the contents reproduction terminal.

6. A contents distribution server according to claim 4, wherein the contents processing information includes information indicating a reception time needed by the contents reproduction terminal to receive the contents data segment and a reproduction time needed to reproduce the contents data segment itself.

7. A contents distribution server according to claim 4, wherein the contents processing information includes information indicating a reproduction and processing status of the contents data segments in the contents reproduction terminal.

8. A contents distribution server according to claim 4, wherein the contents processing information includes information indicating a reproduction time of the contents data segment itself received by the contents reproduction terminal and a time needed to reproduce the contents data segment stored in the contents reproduction terminal, within a predetermined period of time.

9. A contents distribution server according to claim 4, wherein the contents processing information includes information indicating a storage status of the contents data segments in the contents reproduction terminal.

10. A contents distribution server according to claim 4, wherein the moving image segmentation processor creates the contents data segments in accordance with the contents processing information such that the successive contents data segments are continuously reproduced in the contents reproduction server.

11. A contents distribution server according to claim 4, wherein the moving image segmentation processor creates the contents data segments by changing a quality of the contents data in accordance with the contents processing information.

12. A contents distribution server according to claim 4, wherein the moving image segmentation processor creates, in a case where the contents data includes moving image data, the contents data segments by changing a screen size of the contents data in accordance with the contents processing information.

13. A contents distribution server according to claim 4, wherein the moving image segmentation processor creates the contents data segments by changing a bit rate of the contents data in accordance with the contents processing information.

14. A contents reproduction terminal, comprising:

means for receiving and storing a contents data segment and reproducing the same in real time, the contents data segment being created from contents data reproducible for a predetermined period of time which is divided and distributed by a contents distribution server;

means for varying sizes of the contents data segments in accordance with contents processing information indicating a processing status of the contents data segments distributed; and

means for notifying the contents distribution server of the contents processing information;

the contents data segments being created in accordance with the contents processing information such that each of the contents data segments is distributed to the contents reproduction terminal within the reproduction time of the contents data segments itself.

15. A contents reproduction terminal comprising a central processing unit (CPU), for receiving and storing contents data segments distributed by a contents distribution server and reproducing the same in real time,

wherein sizes of the contents data segments are varied in accordance with contents processing information indicating a processing status of the contents data segments distributed;

and

wherein the contents reproduction terminal notifies the contents distribution server of contents processing information; and

wherein the contents distribution server creates the contents data segments in accordance with the contents processing information such that each of the contents data segments is distributed to the contents reproduction terminal within the reproduction time of the contents data segments itself.

16. A contents reproduction terminal according to claim 15, wherein the contents processing information includes information indicating a reception and processing status of the contents data segments.

17. A contents reproduction terminal according to claim 15, wherein the contents processing information includes information indicating a time needed to receive the contents data segment itself and a time needed to reproduce the contents data segment.

18. A contents reproduction terminal according to claim 15, wherein the contents processing information includes information indicating a reproduction and processing status of the contents data segments.

19. A contents reproduction terminal according to claim 15, wherein the contents processing information includes information indicating a reproduction time of the contents data segment itself received by the contents reproduction terminal and a time needed to reproduce the contents data segment stored in the contents reproduction terminal, within a predetermined period of time.

20. A contents reproduction terminal according to claim 15, wherein the contents processing information includes information indicating a storage status of the contents data segments.

21. A contents distribution method for a contents distribution server which divides and distributes stored contents data reproducible for a predetermined period of time as contents data segments and for a contents reproduction terminal which receives and stores the contents data segments distributed by the contents distribution server and reproduces the contents data segments in real time, the contents distribution method comprising:

notifying, by the contents reproduction terminal, the contents distribution server of contents processing information indicating a processing status of the contents data segments; and

creating and distributing, by the contents distribution server, the contents data segments by varying sizes of the contents data segments in accordance with the contents processing information notified by the contents reproduction terminal;

wherein the creating the contents data segments comprises creating the contents data segments in accordance with the contents processing information such that each of the contents data segments is distributed to the contents reproduction terminal within the reproduction time of the contents date segments itself.