CONTENT DATA RECORDING/REPRODUCING DEVICE, INFORMATION COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, CONTENTS LIST GENERATION METHOD AND PROGRAM

• US 20120328264A1
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: TAKATSUKA, Susumu
• Granted Patent: US 9,036,978 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/248
• 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: G11B 27/105 of operating discs

Abstract

The present invention provides a content data recording/reproducing device, comprising a communication unit that engages in communication with an external device, a storage unit that stores content data and additional data related to the content data, a content data extraction unit that selectively extracts the content data from the storage unit based upon condition data received at the communication unit from the external device and the additional data stored in the storage unit and a contents list generation unit that generates a contents list based upon the condition data and additional data corresponding to the content data extracted by the content data extraction unit.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, from a plurality of first devices, supplementary data associated with content data, the devices being configured to obtain the supplementary data using corresponding condition data;

generating, using a processor, a content list based on the received supplementary data; and

generating an instruction to transmit the content list to at least one second device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the content data comprises at least one of digital audio data or digital video data; and

the supplementary data comprises information identifying one or more parameters of the content data.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the supplementary data comprises, for a corresponding element of digital audio data, at least one of a track number, a name of an artist, a title, a genre, a rating, or information identifying an image associated with the digital element data.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the receiving further comprises receiving information identifying users associated with corresponding ones of the first devices.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein generating the content list comprises arranging the supplementary data within the content list in accordance with the received identifying information.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein generating the contents list comprises generating a number of entries within the contents list, the number of entries being consistent with a value defining an upper limit to the number of entries.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the upper limit value corresponds to at least one of (i) a reception capacity of the second device or (ii) a transmission capacity of a communications network associated with the second device.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the condition data comprises information identifying at least one of a genre, a rating, a date of issuance, an artist name, tempo, or a mood.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

establishing a communication session with the second device across a corresponding communications network; and

transmitting, in response the instruction, information associated with at least the content list to the second device over the communications network.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

identifying a subscription service associated with the second device; and

generating the content list information in a format consistent with the identified subscription service.

39. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the condition data comprises information identifying at least one of a genre, a rating, a date of issuance, an artist name, tempo, or a mood.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

a storage device; and

at least one processor coupled to the storage device, wherein the storage device stores a program for controlling the at least one processor, and wherein the at least one processor, being operative with the program, is configured to;

receive supplementary data associated with content data from a plurality of first devices, the devices being configured to obtain the supplementary data using corresponding condition data;

generate a content list based on the received supplementary data; and

generate an instruction to transmit the content list to at least one second device.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the processor is further configured to:

establish a communication session with the second device across a corresponding communications network; and

transmit, in response the instruction, information associated with at least the content list to the second device over the communications network.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein:

the content data comprises at least one of digital audio data or digital video data; and

the supplementary data comprises information identifying one or more parameters of the content data.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the supplementary data comprises, for a corresponding element of digital audio data, at least one of a track number, a name of an artist, a title, a genre, a rating, or information identifying an image associated with the digital element data.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the processor is further configured to receive information identifying users associated with corresponding ones of the first devices.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the content list comprises arranging the supplementary data in accordance with the received identifying information.

37. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein generating the contents list comprises generating a number of entries within the contents list, the number of entries being consistent with a value defining an upper limit to the number of entries.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the upper limit value corresponds to at least one of (i) a reception capacity of the second device or (ii) a transmission capacity of a communications network associated with the second device.

40. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method. comprising:

receiving supplementary data associated with content data from a plurality of first devices, the devices being configured to obtain the supplementary data using corresponding condition data;

generating, using a processor, a content list based on the received supplementary data; and

generating an instruction to transmit the content list to at least one second device.