Content delivery system, content server, content receiver, content delivery method, storage medium and program

• US 20050108287A1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanabe, Takumi, Sawabe, Kazuhide
• Granted Patent: US 7,599,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819

Abstract

A content delivery method is provided of transmitting a content which is divided into a plurality of content blocks so that the attribute of the content does not change within one content block. The content server transmits a specified content block by attaching additional information according to attribute of the content for every content block. And the content receiver determines a request range of the content, and requests the content within that determined request range on the condition that additional information according to attribute of the content for every content block is attached by utilizing the content block information, including at least the length of all content blocks.

Claims

1. A content delivery system for transmitting a content which is divided into a plurality of content blocks so that attribute of the content does not change within said one content block, comprising:

a content server having specifying means of specifying said content block of a requested request range, and transmitting means of transmitting said specified content block according to a predetermined communication protocol by attaching an additional information according to an attribute of said content for said every content block; and

a content receiver having receiving means of receiving said content, request range determining means of determining a request range of said content on condition that the additional information according to the attribute of said content is attached for every said content block by utilizing the content block information including at least length of said all content blocks, and requesting means of requesting for said content of the determined request range;

wherein said specifying means specifies said content block of said request range requested by said requesting means, and

wherein said receiving means receives said content transmitted from said transmitting means.

25. A program for allowing a computer to function as means of the content delivery system according to claim 1, the means comprising:

specifying means of specifying said content block of the requested request range;

transmitting means of transmitting said specified content block according to a predetermined communication protocol by attaching the additional information according to attribute of said content for said every content block of the content server;

receiving means of receiving said content;

request range determining means of determining the request range of said content on condition that the additional information according to distribute of said content for said every content block by utilizing the content block information including at least length of said all content blocks; and

requesting means of requesting for said content of the determined request range of the content receiver.

28. A storage medium storing a program according to any one of claims 25 to 27, said storage medium being processable by a computer.

2. A content server for transmitting a content which is divided into a plurality of said content blocks so that attribute of the content does not change within one content block, comprising:

specifying means of specifying said content block of a requested request range, and transmitting means of transmitting said specified content block according to a predetermined communication protocol by attaching an additional information according to attribute of said content for every content block,

wherein said specifying means specifies said content block of the said request range requested by requesting means of the content receiver comprising;

receiving means of receiving said content;

request range determining means of determining a request range of said content on condition that the additional information is attached according to attribute of said content for every said content block by utilizing the content block information including at least length of said all content blocks; and

requesting means of requesting for said content of the determined request range, and

said content transmitted from said transmitting means is received by said receiving means.

3. The content server according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined communication protocol is HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol).

4. The content server according to claim 3, wherein said additional information is attached to the head of said content block, and said transmitting means transmits said content block so that a data portion of the HTTP message starts from the additional information.

5. The content server according to claim 2, wherein said content block has a fixed length.

6. The content server according to claim 2, wherein said transmitting means transmits said content block information, and said requesting means uses the transmitted content block information.

7. The content server according to claim 2, wherein said content is an AV content including image, video and/or audio.

8. The content server according to claim 2, wherein said additional information includes information showing a state of the copyright protection of said content.

9. The content server according to claim 2, wherein, when said transmitted content is enciphered, said additional information includes information for deciphering said transmitted content.

10. The content server according to claim 7, wherein said AV content is a video of a MPEG format, and said content block is GOP (Group of Picture).

11. The content server according to claim 7, wherein said AV content is video of DVD-VR format, and said content block is VOBU (Video Object Unit).

26. A program for allowing a computer to function as means of the content server according to claim 2, the means comprising:

specifying means of specifying said content block of the requested request range; and

transmitting means of transmitting said specified content block according to a predetermined communication protocol by attaching the additional information according to attribute of said content for said every content block.

12. A content receiver for transmitting a content which is divided into a plurality of said content blocks so that attribute of the content does not change within one content block, comprising:

a receiving means of receiving said content transmitted from transmitting means of the content server having specifying means of specifying said content block of the requested request range and transmitting means of transmitting said specified content block according to a predetermined communication protocol by attaching the additional information according to attribute of said content for every said content blocks;

request range determining means of determining the request range of said content on condition that the additional information according to attribute of said content for every said content block is attached by utilizing the content block information including at least length of said all content blocks; and

requesting means of requesting for said content of the determined request range,

wherein said specifying means specifies said content block of said request range requested by said requesting means.

13. The content receiver according to claim 12, wherein said predetermined communication protocol is HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol).

14. The content receiver according to claim 13, wherein said additional information is attached to the head of said content block, and said transmitting means transmits said content block so that a data portion of the HTTP message starts from the additional information.

15. The content receiver according to claim 12, wherein said content block has a fixed length.

16. The content receiver according to claim 12, wherein said transmitting means transmits said content block information, and said requesting means uses the transmitted content block information.

17. The content receiver according to claim 12, wherein said content is an AV content including image, video and/or audio.

18. The content receiver according to claim 12, wherein said additional information includes information showing a state of the copyright protection of said content.

19. The content receiver according to claim 12, wherein, when said transmitted content is enciphered, said additional information includes information for deciphering said transmitted content.

20. The content receiver according to claim 17, wherein said AV content is video of a MPEG format, and said content block is GOP (Group of Picture).

21. The content receiver according to claim 17, wherein said AV content is video of a DVD-VR format, and said content block is VOBU.

27. A program for allowing a computer to function as means of the content receiver according to claim 12, the means of comprising:

receiving means of receiving said content transmitted from said transmitting means of the content server having specifying means of specifying said content block of the requested request range, and transmitting means of transmitting said specified content block according to a predetermined communication protocol by attaching the additional information according to attribute of said content for said every content block,

request range determining means of determining the request range of said content on condition that the additional information according to attribute of said content for said every content block is attached for said every content block by utilizing the content block information including at least length of said all content blocks, and

requesting means of requesting for said content of the determined request range.

22. A content delivery method used for the content delivery system comprising a content server and a content receiver, the content delivery system transmitting a content which is divided into a plurality of content blocks so that attribute of the content does not change within one content block,

wherein said content server performs a specifying step for specifying said content block of a requested request range and a transmitting step for transmitting said specified content block according to a predetermined communication protocol by attaching additional information according to attribute of said content for every said content block,

wherein said content receiver performs a receiving step for receiving said content, and a request range determining step for determining the request range of said content on condition that the additional information according to attribute of said content is attached for said every content block by utilizing the content block information including at least length of said all content blocks, and a requesting step for requesting said content of the determined request range,

wherein said specifying step specifies said content block of said request range requested by said requesting step, and

wherein said receiving step receives said content transmitted from said transmitting step.

23. A content delivery method for transmitting a content which is divided into a plurality of said content blocks so that attribute of the content does not change within one content block,

said content delivery method comprising:

specifying step for specifying said content block of a requested request range; and

transmitting step for transmitting said specified content block according to a predetermined communication protocol by attaching the additional information according to attribute of said content for every content block,

wherein said specifying step specifies said content block of said request range requested by requesting means of the content receiver comprising;

receiving means of receiving said content;

request range determining means of determining a request range of said content on condition that the additional information according to attribute of said content is attached for every said content block by utilizing the content block information including at least length of said all content blocks; and

said requesting means of requesting for said content of the determined request range, and

wherein said content transmitted from said transmitting step is received by said receiving means.

24. A content delivery method for receiving a content which is divided into a plurality of content blocks so that attribute of the content does not change within one content block,

said content delivery method comprising:

a receiving step for receiving said content transmitted from transmitting means of the content server having specifying means of specifying said content block of a requested request range and said transmitting means of transmitting said specified content block according to a predetermined communication protocol by attaching the additional information according to attribute of said content for every content block;

a request range determining step for determining the request range of said content on condition that the additional information according to attribute of said content is attached for every said content block by utilizing the content block information including at least length of said all content blocks; and

a requesting step for requesting said content of the determined request range,

wherein said specifying means specifies said content block of said request range requested by said requesting step.