Information providing apparatus, portable information terminal, content processing device, device control apparatus, content processing system and program

• US 9,253,446 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2009
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Fukuda, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): PARK, GRACE A
• Application Number:
  US12/387,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20090282001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,462 Days
• Field of Search: 725/39
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/32 Arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations, e.g. malfunction or breakdown of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A content list including contents processable by a designated processing device, among the contents to be processed including a specific content managed with respect to each user, is received by a portable terminal from an ECG server, and a content is selected by a user. Then, a processing request for the selected content is transmitted from the portable terminal to the designated device via the ECG server and a device control server, and unit information of the selected content is acquired by the portable terminal and displayed or reproduced. A user can thereby use the content and the unit information by selecting the content using the portable terminal without depending on the content and the processing device.

Claims

1. An information providing apparatus included in a content processing system made up of the information providing apparatus, a portable information terminal, a content processing device and a device control apparatus, the device control apparatus, the content processing device, the information providing apparatus and the portable information terminal external to one another, connectable through a communication network, to process a content by at least one content processing device using the portable information terminal via the information providing apparatus and the device control apparatus, the information providing apparatus comprising:

a storage device to store;

content information containing unit identification information for identifying unit information of a content to be processed, management information for identifying a specific content managed with respect to each user of the portable information terminal, and

the unit information containing the content information and, selectively, related information related to the content information in association with the content;

a first device information receiving device to receive first device information for identifying the content processing device as a designated device to perform content processing from the portable information terminal, wherein the first device information is based on and corresponds to second device information for identifying a content processing device that can be the designated device, the second device information provided to the portable information terminal by the information providing apparatus, in which at the portable information terminal a device designation list is displayed indicating a content processing device indicated by the second device information as selectable as the designated device,

wherein, during a content processing device registration processing performed before the first device information is received at the information providing apparatus from the portable information terminal, the second device information is generated and associated to third device control information by the device control apparatus based on whether the third device information, in which the third device information is received by the device control apparatus from the information providing apparatus and is generated by the information providing apparatus and stored at the information providing apparatus in association with an access destination of the device control apparatus and terminal identification information for identifying the portable information terminal at the information providing apparatus in response to a request to the information providing apparatus for the content processing device registration processing and receipt at the information providing apparatus of the terminal identification information from the portable information terminal, is verified by the device control apparatus against a device control apparatus identification information identifying the device control apparatus which is stored at the device control apparatus and provided from the information providing apparatus;

a second device information receiving device to receive the second device information, wherein the second device information further includes information for specifying content processing executable by the designated device from the device control apparatus;

a processor to;

extract the content information of the content processable by the designated device from the storage device based on the second device information, and extract the content information of the content processable by the designated device, among specific contents managed with respect to each user of the portable information terminal, from the storage device based on the second device information and the management information, and

create a content list including the contents corresponding to the extracted content information and transmit the content list to the portable information terminal;

a content selection information transmitting/receiving device to receive content selection information for identifying a selected content selected based on the content list from the portable information terminal and transmit the content selection information to the content processing device via the device control apparatus;

a processing request transmitting/receiving device to receive a processing request indicating content processing to be performed on the selected content from the portable information terminal and transmit the processing request to the designated device via the device control apparatus; and

wherein the processor is to extract the unit information of the selected content from the storage device based on the unit identification information contained in the content information of the selected content and provide the unit information to the portable information terminal, and

to store the management information for identifying the selected content into the storage device.

2. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a search condition receiving device to receive a search condition of a registration content to be registered as a specific content managed with respect to each user of the portable information terminal from the portable information terminal, wherein

the processor extracts the content information matching the search condition from the storage device

and creates the content list including the content corresponding to the extracted content information and transmits the content list to the portable information terminal,

the content selection information transmitting/receiving device receives the content selection information for identifying the registration content selected based on the content list from the portable information terminal, and

the processor stores the management information for identifying the registration content into the storage device.

3. The information providing apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the storage device is to store the content selection information for identifying the selected content as history information with respect to each portable information terminal, wherein

the processor extracts the content information of the selected content from the storage device based on the history information and

creates the content list including the content corresponding to the extracted content information and provides the content list to the portable information terminal,

the content selection information transmitting/receiving device receives the content selection information indicating the selected content selected based on the content list from the portable information terminal, and

the processor portion extracts the unit information of the selected content from the storage device based on the unit identification information contained in the content information of the selected content and provides the unit information to the portable information terminal.

4. The information providing apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the storage device is to store preference information generated based on the history information with respect to each portable information terminal, and

the processor creates the content list including the content corresponding to the extracted content information based on the preference information and transmits the content list to the portable information terminal.

5. The information providing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the storage device stores, as the unit information of the content, first unit information containing the content information and, selectively, the related information related to the content information and second unit information containing limited information compared to the first unit information in association with the content,

and stores the content selection information for identifying the selected content and a processing request indicating content processing performed on the selected content as the history information with respect to each portable information terminal, and

the processor extracts the first unit information of the selected content from the storage device and provides the first unit information to the portable information terminal if the processing request indicating given content processing as the content processing performed on the selected content is stored in the storage device, and extracts the second unit information of the selected content from the storage device and provides the second unit information to the portable information terminal if the processing request indicating given content processing is not stored in the storage device.

6. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the unit information stored in the storage device is updated as appropriate, and

the processor extracts the updated unit information of the selected content from the storage device and provides the updated unit information to the portable information terminal.

7. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the processor extracts the unit information of the selected content from the storage device and provides the unit information to the designated device capable of displaying or reproducing the unit information.

8. A portable information terminal included in a content processing system made up of an information providing apparatus, the portable information terminal, a content processing device and a device control apparatus, the device control apparatus, the content processing device, the information providing apparatus and the portable information terminal external to one another, connectable through a communication network, to process a content by at least one content processing device using the portable information terminal via the information providing apparatus and the device control apparatus, the information providing apparatus storing content information containing unit identification information for identifying unit information of a content to be processed, storing management information for identifying a specific content managed with respect to each user of the portable information terminal, and storing the unit information containing the content information and, selectively, related information related to the content information in association with the content, the portable information terminal comprising:

a designated device information transmitting device to transmit first device information for identifying the content processing device as a designated device to perform content processing to the information providing apparatus, wherein the first device information is based on and corresponds to second device information for identifying a content processing device that can be the designated device, the second device information provided to the portable information terminal by the information providing apparatus, in which at the portable information terminal a device designation list is displayed indicating a content processing device indicated by the second device information as selectable as the designated device,

wherein, during a content processing device registration processing performed before the first device information is received at the information providing apparatus from the portable information terminal, the second device information is generated and associated to third device control information by the device control apparatus based on whether the third device information, in which the third device information is received by the device control apparatus from the information providing apparatus and is generated by the information providing apparatus and stored at the information providing apparatus in association with an access destination of the device control apparatus and terminal identification information for identifying the portable information terminal at the information providing apparatus in response to a request to the information providing apparatus for the content processing device registration processing and receipt at the information providing apparatus of the terminal identification information from the portable information terminal, is verified by the device control apparatus against a device control apparatus identification information identifying the device control apparatus which is stored at the device control apparatus and provided from the information providing apparatus;

a content list receiving device to acquire a content list including the content corresponding to the content information of a content processable by a designated device and extracted based on the second device information indicating content processing executable by the designated device and the content corresponding to the content information of a specific content managed with respect to each user of the portable information terminal and processable by the designated device and extracted based on the second device information and the management information from the information providing apparatus;

a content selection information transmitting device to transmit content selection information for identifying a selected content selected based on the content list to the designated device via the information providing apparatus and the device control apparatus;

a processing request transmitting device to transmit a processing request indicating content processing to be performed on the selected content to the designated device via the information providing apparatus and the device control apparatus;

a processor to acquire unit information extracted as the unit information of the selected content based on the unit identification information contained in the content information of the selected content from the information providing apparatus and process the unit information; and

a display/reproducing device to display or reproduce the content list and the unit information.

9. The portable information terminal according to claim 8, further comprising:

a search condition transmitting device to transmit a search condition of a registration content to be registered as a specific content managed with respect to each user of the portable information terminal to the information providing apparatus, wherein

the content list receiving device receives the content list including the content corresponding to content information extracted as the content information matching the search condition from the information providing apparatus, and

the content selection information transmitting device transmits the content selection information for identifying the registration content selected based on the content list to the information providing apparatus so as to store the management information for identifying the selected registration content into the information providing apparatus.

10. The portable information terminal according to claim 9, wherein

the content selection information for identifying the selected content is stored as history information with respect to each portable information terminal in the information providing apparatus,

the content list receiving device receives the content list including the content corresponding to content information extracted as the content information of the selected content based on the history information from the information providing apparatus, and

the content selection information transmitting device transmits content selection information for identifying the selected content selected based on the content list to the information providing apparatus,

the processor acquires unit information extracted as the unit information of the selected content from the information providing apparatus and processes the unit information, and

the display/reproducing device displays or reproduces the content list and the unit information.

11. The portable information terminal according to claim 10, wherein

preference information generated based on the history information is stored with respect to each portable information terminal in the information providing apparatus, and

the content list receiving device receives the content list including the content corresponding to the extracted content information and created based on the preference information from the information providing apparatus.

12. The portable information terminal according to claim 8, wherein

the display/reproducing device simultaneously displays the content information of a given number of contents, among the contents included in the content list, separated by common classification information, and

the content selection information transmitting device transmits the content selection information indicating the content selected by an operation of an operating portion corresponding to each of the given number of displayed contents to the information providing apparatus.

13. The portable information terminal according to claim 8, wherein

the unit information is updated as appropriate by the information providing apparatus, and

the processor acquires unit information extracted as the updated unit information of the selected content from the information providing apparatus and processes the unit information.

14. A content processing device included in a content processing system made up of an information providing apparatus, a portable information terminal, the content processing device and a device control apparatus, the device control apparatus, the content processing device, the information providing apparatus and the portable information terminal external to one another, connectable through a communication network, to process a content by at least one content processing device using the portable information terminal via the information providing apparatus and the device control apparatus, and designated by first device information as a designated device to perform content processing by the portable information terminal, wherein the first device information is based on and corresponds to second device information for identifying a content processing device that can be the designated device, the second device information provided to the portable information terminal by the information providing apparatus, in which at the portable information terminal a device designation list is displayed indicating a content processing device indicated by the second device information as selectable as the designated device

wherein, during a content processing device registration processing performed before the first device information is received at the information providing apparatus from the portable information terminals, the second device information is generated and associated to third device control information by the device control apparatus based on whether the third device information, in which the third device information is received by the device control apparatus from the information providing apparatus and is generated by the information providing apparatus and stored at the information providing apparatus in association with an access destination of the device control apparatus and terminal identification information for identifying the portable information terminal at the information providing apparatus in response to a request for the content processing device registration processing and receipt at the information providing apparatus of the terminal identification information from the portable information terminal, is verified by the device control apparatus against a device control apparatus identification information identifying the device control apparatus which is stored at the device control apparatus and provided from the information providing apparatus, the information providing apparatus storing content information containing unit identification information for identifying unit information of a content to be processed and storing management information for identifying a specific content managed with respect to each user of the portable information terminal, the content processing device comprising:

a content selection information receiving device to receive content selection information for identifying a selected content selected by the portable information terminal based on a content list including the content corresponding to the content information of a content processable by the designated device and extracted based on the second device information indicating content processing executable by the designated device and the content corresponding to the content information of a specific content managed with respect to each portable information terminal and processable by the designated device and extracted based on the second device information and the management information from the portable information terminal via the information providing apparatus and the device control apparatus;

a processing request receiving device to receive a processing request indicating content processing to be performed on the selected content from the portable information terminal via the information providing apparatus and the device control apparatus; and

a processor to perform processing on the selected content based on the received content selection information and the received processing request.

15. The content processing device according to claim 14, wherein

the information providing apparatus stores the unit information containing the content information and, selectively, related information related to the content information in association with the content, and

the processor is to acquire unit information extracted as the unit information of the selected content based on the unit identification information contained in the content information of the selected content from the information providing apparatus and process the unit information;

and

the content processing device includes;

a display/reproducing device to display or reproduce the content and the unit information.

16. A device control apparatus included in a content processing system made up of an information providing apparatus, a portable information terminal, a content processing device and the device control apparatus, the device control apparatus, the content processing device, the information providing apparatus and the portable information terminal external to one another, connectable through a communication network, to process a content by at least one content processing device using the portable information terminal via the information providing apparatus and the device control apparatus, the information providing apparatus storing content information containing unit identification information for identifying unit information of a content to be processed and storing management information for identifying a specific content managed with respect to each user of the portable information terminal, the portable information terminal providing first device information for identifying a content processing device of the at least one content processing device as a designated device to the information providing apparatus, wherein the first device information is based on and corresponds to second device information identifying a content processing device that can be the designated device, the second device information provided to the portable information terminal by the information providing apparatus, in which at the portable information terminal a device designation list is displayed indicating a content processing device indicated by the second device information as selectable as the designated device,

the device control apparatus comprising:

a storage device to store the second device information, wherein the second device information further includes information specifying content processing executable by the content processing device, wherein, during a content processing device registration processing performed before the first device information is received at the information providing apparatus from the portable information terminal, the second device information is generated and associated to third control device information by the device control apparatus based on whether the third device information, in which the third device information is received by the device control apparatus from the information providing apparatus and is generated by the information providing apparatus and stored at the information providing apparatus in association with an access destination of the device control apparatus and terminal identification information for identifying the portable information terminal at the information providing apparatus in response to a request to the information providing apparatus for the content processing device registration processing and receipt at the information providing apparatus of the terminal identification information from the portable information terminal, is verified by the device control apparatus against a device control apparatus identification information identifying the device control apparatus which is stored at the device control apparatus and provided from the information providing apparatus;

a device information transmitting/receiving device to transmit and receive the second device information to and from the designated device designated as the content processing device to perform content processing by the first device information from the portable information terminal and the information providing apparatus;

a content selection information receiving device to transmit and receive content selection information for identifying a selected content selected by the portable information terminal based on a content list including the content corresponding to the content information of a content processable by the designated device and extracted based on the second device information of the designated device and the content corresponding to the content information of a specific content managed with respect to each portable information terminal and processable by the designated device and extracted based on the second device information and the management information to and from the information providing apparatus and the designated device; and

a processing request transmitting/receiving device to transmit and receive a processing request indicating content processing to be performed on the selected content to and from the information providing apparatus and the designated device.

17. A content processing system made up of an information providing apparatus, a portable information terminal, a content processing device and a device control apparatus, the device control apparatus, the content processing device, the information providing apparatus and the portable information terminal external to one another, connectable through a communication network, to process a content by at least one content processing device using the portable information terminal via the information providing apparatus and the device control apparatus, wherein

the information providing apparatus includes:

a storage device to store;

content information containing unit identification information for identifying unit information of a content to be processed, management information for identifying a specific content managed with respect to each user of the portable information terminal, and

the unit information containing the content information and, selectively, related information related to the content information in association with the content;

a first device information receiving device to receive first device information for identifying the content processing device as a designated device to perform content processing from the portable information terminal, wherein the first device information is based on and corresponds to second device information for identifying a content processing device that can be the designated device, the second device information provided to the portable information terminal by the information providing apparatus, in which at the portable information terminal a device designation list is displayed indicating a content processing device indicated by the second device information as selectable as the designated device,

wherein, during a content processing device registration processing performed before the first device information is received at the information providing apparatus from the portable information terminal, the second device information is generated and associated to third device control information by the device control apparatus based on whether the third device information, in which the third device information is received by the device control apparatus from the information providing apparatus and is generated by the information providing apparatus and stored at the information providing apparatus in association with an access destination of the device control apparatus and terminal identification information for identifying the portable information terminal at the information providing apparatus in response to a request to the information providing apparatus for the content processing device registration processing and receipt at the information providing apparatus of the terminal identification information from the portable information terminal, is verified by the device control apparatus against a device control apparatus identification information identifying the device control apparatus which is stored at the device control apparatus and provided from the information providing apparatus;

a second device information receiving device to receive the second device information, wherein the second device information further includes information for specifying content processing executable by the designated device from the device control apparatus;

a processor to;

extract the content information of the content processable by the designated device from the storage device based on the second device information, and extract the content information of the content processable by the designated device, among specific contents managed with respect to each user of the portable information terminal, from the storage device based on the second device information and the management information, and

create a content list including the contents corresponding to the extracted content information and transmit the content list to the portable information terminal;

a content selection information transmitting/receiving device to receive content selection information for identifying a selected content selected based on the content list from the portable information terminal and transmit the content selection information to the content processing device via the device control apparatus;

a processing request transmitting/receiving device to receive a processing request indicating content processing to be performed on the selected content from the portable information terminal and transmit the processing request to the designated device via the device control apparatus; and

wherein the processor is to extract the unit information of the selected content from the storage device based on the unit identification information contained in the content information of the selected content and provide the unit information to the portable information terminal, and

to store the management information for identifying the selected content into the storage device;

the portable information terminal includes;

a designated device information transmitting device to transmit the first device information to the information providing apparatus;

a content list receiving device to receive the content list from the information providing apparatus;

a content selection information transmitting device to transmit the content selection information to the designated device via the information providing apparatus and the device control apparatus;

a processing request transmitting device to transmit a processing request to the designated device via the information providing apparatus and the device control apparatus;

a second processor to acquire unit information extracted as the unit information of the selected content based on the unit identification information contained in the content information of the selected content from the information providing apparatus and process the unit information; and

a display/reproducing device to display or reproduce the content list and the unit information,

the content processing device includes;

a content selection information receiving device to receive the content selection information from the portable information terminal via the information providing apparatus and the device control apparatus;

a processing request receiving device to receive the processing request from the portable information terminal via the information providing apparatus and the device control apparatus; and

a third processor to perform processing on the selected content based on the received content selection information and the received processing request, and

the device control apparatus includes;

a second storage device to store the second device information of the content processing device;

a device information transmitting/receiving device to transmit and receive the second device information to and from the information providing apparatus and the designated device;

a content selection information receiving device to transmit and receive the content selection information to and from the information providing apparatus and the designated device; and

a processing request transmitting/receiving device to transmit and receive a processing request information to and from the information providing apparatus and the designated device.

18. A non-transitory recording medium recorded with a computer-readable program executable by a computer for causing an information providing apparatus to execute an information providing method, the information providing apparatus included in a content processing system made up of the information providing apparatus, a portable information terminal, a content processing device and a device control apparatus, the device control apparatus, the content processing device, the information providing apparatus and the portable information terminal external to one another, connectable through a communication network, to process a content by at least one content processing device using the portable information terminal via the information providing apparatus and the device control apparatus, the information providing method comprising the steps of:

storing content information containing unit identification information for identifying unit information of a content to be processed;

storing management information for identifying a specific content managed with respect to each user of the portable information terminal;

storing the unit information containing the content information and, selectively, related information related to the content information in association with the content;

receiving, at the information providing apparatus, first device information for identifying the content processing device as the designated device to perform content processing from the portable information terminal, wherein the first device information is based on and corresponds to second device information for identifying a content processing device that can be the designated device provided to the portable information terminal by the information providing apparatus, in which at the portable information terminal a device designation list is displayed indicating a content processing device indicated by the second device information as selectable as the designated device,

wherein, during a content processing device registration processing performed before the first device information is received at the information providing apparatus from the portable information terminal, the second device information is generated and associated to third device control information by the device control apparatus based on whether the third device information, in which the third device information is received by the device control apparatus from the information providing apparatus and is generated by the information providing apparatus and stored at the information providing apparatus in association with an access destination of the device control apparatus and terminal identification information for identifying the portable information terminal at the information providing apparatus in response to a request to the information providing apparatus for the content processing device registration processing and receipt at the information providing apparatus of the terminal identification information from the portable information terminal, is verified by the device control apparatus against a device control apparatus identification information identifying the device control apparatus, which is stored at the device control apparatus and provided from the information providing apparatus;

receiving the second device information, wherein the second device information further includes information specifying content processing executable by the designated device from the device control apparatus;

extracting the content information of the content processable by the designated device from the stored content information based on the second device information, and extracting the content information of the content processable by the designated device, among specific contents managed with respect to each user of the portable information terminal, from the stored content information based on the second device information and the management information;

creating a content list including the contents corresponding to the extracted content information and transmitting the content list to the portable information terminal;

receiving content selection information for identifying a selected content selected based on the content list from the portable information terminal and transmitting the content selection information to the content processing device via the device control apparatus;

receiving a processing request indicating content processing to be performed on the selected content from the portable information terminal and transmitting the processing request to the designated device via the device control apparatus;

extracting the unit information of the selected content from the stored unit information based on the unit identification information contained in the content information of the selected content and providing the unit information to the portable information terminal; and

storing the management information for identifying the selected content.