Content distribution reservation method, content distribution method, reservation management device, and program

• US 7,246,169 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2001
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nishimura, Takanori, Ihara, Keigo, Fukuda, Junko, Sueyoshi, Takahiko, Yoshimine, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit; Bunjob
• Assistant Examiner(s): Refai; Ramsey
• Application Number:
  US10/110,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20020156648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,148 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/232, 709/225, 709/226, 709/203, 709/219, 709/227, 709/228, 709/238, 709/243, 370/322, 370/348, 370/443
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/781 Centralised allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/826 Involving periods of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• 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 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26241 involving the time of distribution, e.g. the best time of the day for inserting an advertisement or airing a children program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 : Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

To allow a distributor to take into account the capacity of content distribution targets or service fee when making a reservation for live distribution of content. In a content supply system 100, in order to use a streaming server 102 to perform a live distribution, a user PC 106 used makes a reservation for a time zone, etc. to a server reservation control center 101 over the Internet 103. Here, the streaming server 102 has channels for distribution of a plurality of channels and can carry out distribution processing on the respective channels in the same time zone. The respective channels have a preset service fee and capacity of distribution targets and the user can specify which channel should be used for distribution taking into account these settings when making a reservation.

Claims

1. A content distribution reservation method whereby in order to perform live distribution of content using a distribution server, which is capable of carrying out, with a plurality of systems, processing of receiving content sent from a distributor terminal apparatus via a network and carrying out stream distribution of said content to a client terminal apparatus via the network, said distributor terminal apparatus makes a reservation for a use of said distribution server via the network to a reservation control apparatus that controls a reservation situation of said distribution server, said content distribution reservation method comprising:

displaying reservation situation information at said distributor terminal apparatus, said reservation situation information being sent from said reservation control apparatus via the network when said distributor terminal apparatus sends a request for browsing the reservation situation to said reservation control apparatus via the network, and said reservation situation information including information about (i) a plurality of channels configured to connect said distribution server to said plurality of channels, and (ii) a capacity and a service fee preset for each of said plurality of channels of said distribution server;

requesting a reservation by sending reservation request information including a desired channel indicating which of said plurality of channels of said distribution server is requested to be used and a desired service time to distribute content using said distribution server from said distributor terminal apparatus to said reservation control apparatus via the network; and

billing said distributor terminal apparatus for the service fee for the use of said distribution server by carrying out billing processing related to said reservation based on the service fee of said distribution server preset in said desired channel when the reservation for the use of said distribution server using said desired channel and during said desired service time included in said reservation request information is accepted and said reservation is established.

2. The content distribution reservation method according to claim 1, wherein, in the billing, only said distributor terminal apparatus is billed for the service fee.

3. The content distribution reservation method according to claim 1, wherein the service fee is determined based on a capacity in a number of distribution targets which are preset in each of said plurality of systems of said distribution server and to which said distribution server distributes said content via the network.

4. A content distribution method for making a reservation to a reservation control apparatus for a use of a distribution server capable of carrying out, with a plurality of systems, processing of receiving content sent from a distributor terminal apparatus via a network and carrying out stream distribution of said content to a client terminal apparatus via the network, and sending said content from said distributor terminal apparatus to said distribution server based on said reservation and thereby carrying out content distribution, said content distribution method comprising:

displaying reservation situation information at said distributor terminal apparatus, said reservation situation information being sent from said reservation control apparatus via the network when said distributor terminal apparatus sends a request for browsing a reservation situation information including information about (i) a plurality of channels configured to connect said distribution server to said plurality of systems, and (ii) a capacity and a service fee preset for each of said plurality of channels of said distribution server;

requesting a reservation by sending reservation request information including a desired channel indicating which of said plurality of channels of said distribution server is requested to be used and a desired service time to distribute content using said distribution server from said distributor terminal apparatus to said reservation control apparatus via the network;

transmitting, when the reservation for the use of said distribution server using said desired channel and during said desired service time included in said reservation request information is accepted, said content from said distributor terminal apparatus to said distribution server via the network to carry out content distribution based on said accepted reservation;

judging, when said client terminal apparatus sends a request for distributing content to said distribution server via the network, whether or not to permit the distribution request of said client terminal apparatus based on a capacity in a number of distribution targets preset in said desired channel;

distributing said content by carrying out streaming distribution of the content sent from said distributor terminal apparatus from said distribution server to said clientterminal apparatus via the network when the distribution request of said client terminal apparatus is accepted; and

billing said distributor terminal apparatus for the service fee for the use of said distribution server.

5. A reservation control apparatus that controls reservations of live distributions of content using a distribution server capable of carrying out processing of stream distributions of said content to a client terminal apparatus via a network using a plurality of systems, said reservation control apparatus comprising:

a reservation situation transmitting unit configured to transmit reservation situation information to a distributor terminal apparatus via the network when a request for browsing a reservation situation is sent from said distributor terminal apparatus, said reservation situation information including information about (i) a plurality of channels configured to connect said distribution server to said plurality of systems, and (ii) a capacity and a service fee preset for each of said plurality of channels of said distribution server;

a receiving unit configured to receive reservation request information including a desired channel indicating which of said plurality of channels of said distribution server is requested by said distributor terminal apparatus to be used for a live distribution of content via the network and a desired service time for requesting a content distribution using said distribution server; and

a billing unit configured to carry out billing processing related to said reservation based on the service fee of said distribution server preset in said desired channel and to bill said distributor terminal apparatus for the service fee when the reservation for the use of said distribution server using said desired channel and during said desired service time included in said reservation request information is accepted and established.

6. A reservation control apparatus that controls reservations of live distributions of content using a distribution server capable of carrying out processing of stream distributions of said content to a client terminal apparatus via a network using a plurality of systems, said reservation control apparatus comprising:

a reservation situation transmitting unit configured to transmit reservation situation information to a distributor terminal apparatus via the network when a request for browsing a reservation situation is sent from said distributor terminal apparatus, said reservation situation information including information about (i) a plurality of channels configured to connect said distribution server to said plurality of systems and (ii) a capacity and a service fee preset for each of said plurality of channels of said distribution server;

a receiving unit configured to receive reservation request information including a desired channel indicating which of said plurality of channels of said distribution server is requested by said distributor terminal apparatus to be used for a live distribution of content via the network and a desired service time for requesting a content distribution using said distribution server;

a judging unit configured to judge, when said client terminal apparatus sends a request for distribution of content to said distribution server via the network, whether the distribution request from said client terminal apparatus should be accepted or not based on a capacity in a number of distribution targets preset in said desired channel; and

a billing unit configured to bill said distributor terminal apparatus for the service fee for a use of said distribution server.

7. A program storage medium storing a program to be executed by a reservation control apparatus that controls reservations for a live distribution of content using a distribution server capable of carrying out processing of stream distribution of said content to a client terminal apparatus via a network using a plurality of systems, said program comprising:

transmission processing that transmits reservation situation information to a distributor terminal apparatus via the network when a request for browsing a reservation situation is sent from said distributor terminal apparatus, said reservation situation information including information about (i) a plurality of channels configured to connect said distribution server to said plurality of systems and (ii) a capacity and a service fee preset for each of said plurality of stems channels of said distribution server;

reception processing that receives reservation request information including a desired channel indicating which of said plurality of channels of said distribution server is requested by said distributor terminal apparatus to be used for a live distribution of content via a network and a desired service time for requesting a content distribution using said distribution server; and

billing processing that carries out billing processing related to said reservation based on said service fee of said distribution server preset in said desired channel and that bills said distributor terminal apparatus for the service fee when the reservation for the use of said distribution server using said desired channel and during said desired service time included in said reservation request information is accepted and established.

8. A program storage medium storing a program to be executed by a reservation control apparatus that controls reservations for a live distribution of content using a distribution server capable of carrying out processing of stream distributions of said content to a client terminal apparatus via a network using a plurality of systems, said program comprising:

transmission processing that transmits reservation situation information to a distributor terminal apparatus via the network when a request for browsing a reservation situation is sent from said distributor terminal apparatus, said reservation situation information including information about (i) a plurality of channels configured to connect said distribution server to said plurality of systems, and (ii) a capacity and a service fee preset for each of said plurality of channels of said distribution server;

reception processing that receives reservation request information including a desired channel indicating which of said plurality of channels of said distribution server is requested by said distributor terminal apparatus to be used for a live distribution of content via the network and a desired service time for requesting a content distribution using said distribution server;

judging processing that judges, when said client terminal apparatus sends a request for distribution of content to said distribution server via the network, whether the distribution request from said client terminal apparatus should be accepted or not based on a capacity in a number of distribution targets preset in said desired channel; and

billing processing that bills said distributor terminal apparatus for the service fee for a use of said distribution server.