Communication system and its method and communication apparatus and its method

• US 9,160,818 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2013
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Data Scape Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Morohashi, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Mamo, Elias
• Application Number:
  US14/064,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20140059119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• 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: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2525 Magneto-optical [MO] discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2207/16 Solid state audio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 : for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand

Abstract

This invention relates to a communication system including a first apparatus having a first storage medium, and a second apparatus for transmitting data to the first apparatus, the second apparatus comprising: a second storage medium for storing management information of data to be transferred to the first storage medium; communication means for communicating data with the first apparatus; edit means capable of editing the management information; and control means for making a control to transfer data stored in the second storage medium to the first storage medium by way of the communication means on the basis of the management information edited by the edit means.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus configured to transfer musical content data to a portable apparatus, comprising:

a data interface configured to interface with the portable apparatus; and

circuitry configured to

judge whether the portable apparatus and the communication apparatus are connected,

determine, after judging that the portable apparatus and the communication apparatus are connected, whether an identifier of the portable apparatus corresponds to an identifier stored in the communication apparatus that uniquely identifies the portable apparatus among a plurality of portable apparatuses,

receive, after determining that the identifier of the portable apparatus corresponds to the identifier stored in the communication apparatus, a second list of musical content data of the portable apparatus from the portable apparatus,

compare, after determining that the identifier of the portable apparatus corresponds to the identifier stored in the communication apparatus, a first list of musical content data of the communication apparatus with the second list of musical content data of the portable apparatus received from the portable apparatus, the first list being associated with the identifier stored in the communication apparatus,

identify first musical content data that is in the first list and not in the second list responsive to the comparison between the first list and the second list by the circuitry without a user'"'"'s designation of the first musical content data,

control transfer, from the communication apparatus to the portable apparatus, of the identified first musical content data that is in the first list and not in the second list, and

control playback of musical content data based on the first list so that the musical content data referenced in the first list is played back as a collection.

2. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to

control acquisition of information from the Internet,

control exchanging musical content data via a serial digital interface, and

control displaying of a list of pieces of musical content data that satisfies a predetermined condition based on a result of a search operation.

3. The communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein the circuitry is further configured to control recording of musical content data read out from a CD.

4. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first list of musical content data includes at least one title of the musical content data.

5. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

receive the second list from the portable apparatus, wherein the second list is created at the portable apparatus.

6. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

edit the first list of musical content data based on user input.

7. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first list is associated with the identifier of the portable apparatus, and wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

extract the first list from a plurality of lists stored in the communication apparatus based on the identifier of the portable apparatus.

8. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

control transfer of the first list to the portable apparatus.

9. The communication apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a charging unit configured to charge a battery of the portable apparatus in parallel with the transfer of the first musical content data.

10. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

issue a command that causes the portable apparatus to erase second musical content data that is stored in the portable apparatus.

11. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to control a display to (a) display a list of a plurality of musical content data stored in the communication apparatus in one area of the display and (b) display the first list in another area of the display.

12. A method for transferring musical content data from a communication apparatus to a portable apparatus, the method comprising:

judging whether the portable apparatus and the communication apparatus are connected,

determining, using circuitry, after the judging, whether an identifier of the portable apparatus corresponds to an identifier stored in the communication apparatus that uniquely identifies the portable apparatus among a plurality of portable apparatuses,

receiving, after the determining, a second list of musical content data of the portable apparatus from the portable apparatus,

comparing, using the circuitry, after the determining, a first list of musical content data of the communication apparatus with the second list of musical content data of the portable apparatus received from the portable apparatus, the first list being associated with the identifier stored in the communication apparatus,

identifying, using the circuitry, first musical content data that is in the first list and not in the second list responsive to said comparing the first list with the second list, without a user'"'"'s designation of the first musical content data,

controlling transfer, using the circuitry, from the communication apparatus to the portable apparatus, of the identified first musical content data that is in the first list and not in the second list, and

controlling playback of musical content data based on the first list so that the musical content data referenced in the first list is played back as a collection.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

acquiring information from the Internet,

exchanging musical content data via a serial digital interface, and

displaying a list of pieces of musical content data that satisfies a predetermined condition based on a result of a search operation.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

recording musical content data read out from a CD.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first list of musical content data includes at least one title of the musical content data.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving the second list from the portable apparatus, wherein the second list is created at the portable apparatus.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

editing the first list of musical content data based on user input.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the first list is associated with the identifier of the portable apparatus, and further comprising:

extracting the first list from a plurality of lists stored in the communication apparatus based on the identifier of the portable apparatus.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transferring the first list to the portable apparatus.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

charging a battery of the portable apparatus in parallel with the transfer of the first musical content data.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

issuing a command that causes the portable apparatus to erase second musical content data that is stored in the portable apparatus.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

controlling a display to (a) display a list of a plurality of musical content data stored in the communication apparatus in one area of the display and (b) display the first list in another area of the display.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium including executable instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to execute a method for transferring musical content data from a communication apparatus to a portable apparatus, the method comprising:

judging whether the portable apparatus and the communication apparatus are connected,

determining, after the judging, whether an identifier of the portable apparatus corresponds to an identifier stored in the communication apparatus that uniquely identifies the portable apparatus among a plurality of portable apparatuses,

receiving, after the determining, a second list of musical content data of the portable apparatus from the portable apparatus,

comparing, after the determining, a first list of musical content data of the communication apparatus with the second list of musical content data of the portable apparatus received from the portable apparatus, the first list being associated with the identifier stored in the communication apparatus,

identifying first musical content data that is in the first list and not in the second list responsive to said comparing the first list with the second list without a user'"'"'s designation of the first musical content data,

controlling transfer, from the communication apparatus to the portable apparatus, of the identified first musical content data that is in the first list and not in the second list, and

controlling playback of musical content data based on the first list so that the musical content data referenced in the first list is played back as a collection.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, the method further comprising:

acquiring information from the Internet,

exchanging musical content data via a serial digital interface, and

displaying a list of pieces of musical content data that satisfies a predetermined condition based on a result of a search operation.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, the method further comprising:

recording musical content data read out from a CD.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the first list of musical content data includes at least one title of the musical content data.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, the method further comprising:

receiving the second list from the portable apparatus, wherein the second list is created at the portable apparatus.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, the method further comprising:

editing the first list of musical content data based on user input.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the first list is associated with the identifier of the portable apparatus, and the method further comprising:

extracting the first list from a plurality of lists stored in the communication apparatus based on the identifier of the portable apparatus.

30. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, the method further comprising:

transferring the first list to the portable apparatus.

31. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, the method further comprising:

charging a battery of the portable apparatus in parallel with the transfer of the first musical content data.

32. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, the method further comprising:

issuing a command that causes the portable apparatus to erase second musical content data that is stored in the portable apparatus.

33. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, the method further comprising:

controlling a display to (a) display a list of a plurality of musical content data stored in the communication apparatus in one area of the display and (b) display the first list in another area of the display.