Information processing system, information generating apparatus and method, information processing apparatus and method, and program

• US 20060227632A1
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Koyama, Nobukazu
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 365/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are intended to allow a user to integrally manage content regardless whether the content is owned or not owned by the user. In a reproduction terminal, one piece of sort-out information is generated from one play list. Sort-out information is obtained by classifying the metadata of content registered with a play list into three types of metadata, search metadata, display metadata and processing metadata. The sort-out information generated in the reproduction terminal is transmitted to a reproduction terminal via a sort-out information server. In the reproduction terminal, a same play list as a play list of the reproduction terminal is created on the basis of the provided sort-out information. In the created play list, each piece of content registered with the play list is managed by making a distinction between the content owned by the user and the content not owned by the user. The embodiments of the present invention are applicable to computers for the management of content.

Claims

1. An information processing system having an information generating apparatus and an information processing apparatus,

the information generating apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing a first play list for managing grouped content; and

generating means for generating sort-out information for use by the information processing apparatus in creating a second play list for managing same content as the content to be managed by the first play list, the sort-out information including metadata of the content to be managed by the first play list,

the information processing apparatus comprising;

acquiring means for acquiring the sort-out information generated by the information generating apparatus; and

creating means for determining on the basis of the metadata whether each piece of content with metadata included in the sort-out information acquired by the acquiring means is owned by a user, thereby creating the second play list in which a distinction is made between pieces of content owned by the user and not owned by the user.

2. An information generating apparatus for generating information to be provided to another apparatus, comprising:

storage means for storing a first play list for managed grouped content; and

generating means for generating sort-out information that is for use in creating a second play list by the another apparatus for managing same content as content to be managed by the first play list and includes metadata of the content to be managed by the first play list.

3. An information generating method for storing a first play list for managing grouped content to generate information to be provided to an apparatus, comprising the step of:

generating sort-out information that is for use in creating a second play list by the apparatus for managing same content as content to be managed by the first play list and includes metadata of the content to be managed by the first play list.

4. A program for making a computer execute processing of storing a first play list for managing grouped content to generate information to be provided to an apparatus, comprising the step of:

generating sort-out information that is for use in creating a second play list by the apparatus for managing same content as content to be managed by the first play list and includes metadata of the content to be managed by the first play list.

5. An information processing apparatus for storing a first play list for managing grouped content and processing information generated by an information generating apparatus for generating sort-out information that is for use by another apparatus for creating a second play list for managing same content as content to be managed by the first play list and includes metadata, comprising:

acquiring means for acquiring the sort-out information; and

creating means for determining on the basis of the metadata whether each piece of content with metadata included in the sort-out information acquired by the acquiring means is owned by a user, thereby creating the second play list in which a distinction is made between the content owned by the user and the content not owned by the user.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

display control means for displaying information indicative whether each piece of content is owned by the user along with information about each piece of content to be managed by the second play list on the basis of the second play list created by the creating means.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the display control means displays a button to be operated to start reproduction of content as information indicative that the content is owned by the user.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the display control means displays a button to be operated to access a seller of content as information indicative that the content is not owned by the user.

9. An information processing method for storing a first play list for managing grouped content and processing information generated by an information generating apparatus for generating sort-out information that is for use by another apparatus for creating a second play list for managing same content as content to be managed by the first play list and includes metadata, comprising the steps of:

acquiring the sort-out information; and

determining on the basis of the metadata whether each piece of content with metadata included in the sort-out information acquired in the acquisition step is owned by a user, thereby creating the second play list in which a distinction is made between the content owned by the user and the content not owned by the user.

10. A program for making a computer execute processing of storing a first play list for managing grouped content and processing of information generated by an information generating apparatus for generating sort-out information that is for use by another apparatus for creating a second play list for managing same content as content to be managed by the first play list and includes metadata, comprising the steps of:

acquiring the sort-out information; and

determining on the basis of the metadata whether each piece of content with metadata included in the sort-out information acquired in the acquisition step is owned by a user, thereby creating the second play list in which a distinction is made between the content owned by the user and the content not owned by the user.

11. An information processing system having an information generating apparatus and an information processing apparatus,

the information generating apparatus comprising:

a storage block for storing a first play list for managing grouped content; and

a generating block for generating sort-out information for use by the information processing apparatus in creating a second play list for managing same content as the content to be managed by the first play list, the sort-out information including metadata of the content to be managed by the first play list,

the information processing apparatus comprising;

an acquiring block for acquiring the sort-out information generated by the information generating apparatus; and

a creating block for determining on the basis of the metadata whether each piece of content with metadata included in the sort-out information acquired by the acquiring block is owned by a user, thereby creating the second play list in which a distinction is made between pieces of content owned by the user and not owned by the user.

12. An information generating apparatus for generating information to be provided to another apparatus, comprising:

a storage block for storing a first play list for managed grouped content; and

a generating block for generating sort-out information that is for use in creating a second play list by the another apparatus for managing same content as content to be managed by the first play list and includes metadata of the content to be managed by the first play list.

13. An information processing apparatus for storing a first play list for managing grouped content and processing information generated by an information generating apparatus for generating sort-out information that is for use by another apparatus for creating a second play list for managing same content as content to be managed by the first play list and includes metadata, comprising:

an acquiring block for acquiring the sort-out information; and

a creating block for determining on the basis of the metadata whether each piece of content with metadata included in the sort-out information acquired by the acquiring block is owned by a user, thereby creating the second play list in which a distinction is made between the content owned by the user and the content not owned by the user.