Content reproduction apparatus, content receiving apparatus, method of reproducing content, program, and content reproduction system

• US 8,526,484 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2010
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Katsuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Flores, Leon
• Application Number:
  US12/702,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20100220769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 375/211, 375/220, 375/222, 375/295, 375/316, 455/7, 455/11.1, 455/13.1, 455/15, 370/312, 370/315, 370/328, 370/352, 381/27, 381/300, 381/306, 360/60, 360/77.04, 707/1, 711/158
• US Class Current: 375/211
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4852 for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages

Abstract

There is provided a content reproduction apparatus including a reproduction request receiving unit that receives from a first external device conforming to a first communication standard a request to reproduce content data selected by the first external device, a content data obtaining unit that obtains from a second external device conforming to the first communication standard, which stores the content data selected by the first external device, the content data in response to the received request, a content reproduction unit that reproduces the obtained content data, and a data converting unit that converts data which can be transmitted according to the first communication standard into data which can be transmitted according to a second communication standard different than the first communication standard.

Claims

1. A content reproduction apparatus comprising:

a reproduction request receiving unit to receive from a first external device conforming to a first communication standard a request to reproduce content data selected by the first external device;

a content data obtaining unit to obtain from a second external device conforming to the first communication standard the content data in response to the request received by the reproduction request receiving unit, the second external device storing the content data selected by the first external device;

a content reproduction unit to reproduce the content data obtained by the content data obtaining unit;

a plurality of data converting units to convert data which can be transmitted according to the first communication standard into data which can be transmitted according to a second communication standard different than the first communication standard; and

a converted data transmitting unit to transmit the data which is converted by a data converting unit of the plurality of data converting units and can be transmitted according to the second communication standard to a third external device conforming to the second communication standard,

wherein each of the plurality of data converting units receives data from one of a plurality of third external devices which are different from each other, and

wherein each of the plurality of data converting units can perform data transmission with one or more other data converting units.

2. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when the data converting unit of the plurality of data converting units receives from the third external device a processing instruction signal for causing the content reproduction apparatus to perform a predetermined processing, the data converting unit converts the processing instruction signal into a signal that can be transmitted according to the first communication standard and outputs the signal to the content reproduction unit, and

the content reproduction unit performs the predetermined processing based on the converted processing instruction signal.

3. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second communication standard realizes data transmission by radio communication with a 2.4 GHz-band between devices which can communicate according to the second communication standard using a plurality of channels which are paths for transmitting data including audio signals.

4. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the data converting unit of the plurality of data converting units receives from the first external device a sound volume control signal for adjusting reproduction sound volume of the content data on the third external device, converts the received sound volume control signal, and outputs the converted sound volume control signal to the converted data transmitting unit, and

the converted data transmitting unit transmits the converted sound volume control signal to the third external device.

5. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the data converting unit of the plurality of data converting units determines whether the transmission of the content data is performed using either a first data transmission scheme, according to which the audio signals of different sound source types are transmitted on each of the plurality of channels, or a second data transmission scheme, according to which the audio signals of a same sound source type are transmitted on each of the plurality of channels.

6. A content receiving apparatus comprising:

a content data obtaining unit to obtain content data, being reproduced on a second external device based on control by a first external device conforming to a first communication standard, from the second external device by communication according to a second communication standard different than the first communication standard;

a content reproduction unit to reproduce the content data obtained by the content data obtaining unit; and

a plurality of data converting units, wherein each data converting unit of the plurality of data converting units receives data from an external device and performs data transmission with at least one other data converting unit.

7. The content receiving apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a processing instruction signal generating unit to generate a processing instruction signal for causing the second external device to perform a predetermined processing; and

a processing instruction signal transmitting unit to transmit the processing instruction signal generated by the processing instruction signal generating unit to the second external device as a signal conforming to the second communication standard.

8. The content receiving apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the second communication standard realizes the data transmission by radio communication with a 2.4 GHz-band between devices which can communicate according to the second communication standard using a plurality of channels which are paths for transmitting data including audio signals.

9. The content receiving apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a control signal receiving unit to receive, when a sound volume control signal for adjusting reproduction sound volume of the content data on the content receiving apparatus is transmitted from the first external device to the second external device as data which can be transmitted according to the first communication standard, the sound volume control signal which is converted by the second external device into data which can be transmitted according to the second communication standard,

wherein the content reproduction unit adjusts the reproduction sound volume of the content data being reproduced, based on the sound volume control signal received by the control signal receiving unit.

10. A method of reproducing content, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from a first external device conforming to a first communication standard a request to reproduce content data selected by the first external device;

in response to the received request, obtaining the content data from a second external device conforming to the first communication standard that stores the content data selected by the first external device;

reproducing the obtained content data;

using at least one of a plurality of data converting units, converting the content data being reproduced into data which can be transmitted according to a second communication standard different than the first communication standard;

transmitting the converted content data to a third external device conforming to the second communication standard; and

transmitting data between a first data converting unit and a second data converting unit of the plurality of data converting units.

11. A method of reproducing content, according to claim 10:

wherein, when content data being reproduced on a second external device based on control by a first external device conforming to a first communication standard is converted by the second external device into data which can be transmitted according to a second communication standard different than the first communication standard, obtaining the converted content data; and

reproducing the obtained content data.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium on which is stored a program for causing a computer to implement:

a reproduction request receiving function of receiving from a first external device conforming to a first communication standard a request to reproduce content data selected by the first external device;

a content data obtaining function of obtaining the content data from a second external device conforming to the first communication standard that stores the content data selected by the first external device;

a reproducing function of reproducing the content data obtained by the content data obtaining function;

a data converting function of converting data which can be transmitted according to the first communication standard into data which can be transmitted according to a second communication standard different than the first communication standard; and

a data transmitting function of transmitting data between a first data converting unit and a second data converting unit of a plurality of data converting units.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium on which is stored a program for causing a computer to implement:

a content data obtaining function of obtaining converted content data when content data being reproduced on a second external device based on control by a first external device conforming to a first communication standard is converted by the second external device into data which can be transmitted according to a second communication standard different than the first communication standard;

a reproducing function of reproducing the content data obtained by the content data obtaining function; and

a data conversion and transmitting function of converting data by at least one of, and transmitting data between two or more of, a plurality of data converting units.

14. A content reproduction system comprising:

a content management server including a storage unit to store predetermined content data and a content data providing unit to provide the content data to an external device conforming to a first communication standard;

a reproduction control apparatus including a content data obtaining unit to obtain a list of the content data managed by the content management server and a reproduction apparatus control unit to request the external device conforming to the first communication standard to reproduce content data selected from the obtained list of the content data;

a content reproduction apparatus including a content data obtaining unit to obtain the content data selected by the reproduction control apparatus from the content management server in response to the request from the reproduction control apparatus a content reproduction unit to reproduce the obtained content data, a plurality of data converting units to convert data which can be transmitted according to the first communication standard into data which can be transmitted according to a second communication standard different than the first communication standard, and a converted data transmitting unit to transmit the data which is converted by the data converting unit and can be transmitted according to the second communication standard to an external device conforming to the second communication standard; and

a content receiving apparatus including a content data obtaining unit to obtain the content data being reproduced by the content reproduction apparatus from the content reproduction apparatus by communication according to the second communication standard and a content reproduction unit to reproduce the content data obtained by the content data obtaining unit;

wherein each of the plurality of data converting units, each data converting unit receives data from an external device and each of the data converting units performs data transmission with at least one other data converting unit.