Information retrieval system and information retrieval method using network

• US 7,428,534 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Issued: 09/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Ito, Shinichi, Kamiya, Taiki, Asahi, Yasuhiko, Tokuhiro, Taro, Murakami, Hisanori, Yamaguchi, Seiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): LEROUX, ETIENNE PIERRE
• Application Number:
  US09/823,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20020065817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,734 Days
• Field of Search: 707/5, 707/10, 707/1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/104.1, 705/26, 705/37, 715/513, 700/214, 348/473, 709/219, 709/224, 844/70.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0058 Transmission between separate instruments or between individual components of a musical system G10H1/0083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/365 the accompaniment information being stored on a host computer and transmitted to a reproducing terminal by means of a network, e.g. public telephone lines
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/011 Lyrics displays, e.g. for karaoke applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/015 Musical staff, tablature or score displays, e.g. for score reading during a performance. graphical musical score editing G10H2220/121; musical score displays resulting from a transcription G10H2210/086
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/056 MIDI or other note-oriented file format
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/115 Instrument identification, i.e. recognizing an electrophonic musical instrument, e.g. on a network, by means of a code, e.g. IMEI, serial number, or a profile describing its capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/131 Library retrieval, i.e. searching a database or selecting a specific musical piece, segment, pattern, rule or parameter set
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/271 Serial transmission according to any one of RS-232 standards for serial binary single-ended data and control signals between a DTE and a DCE
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/285 USB, i.e. either using a USB plug as power supply or using the USB protocol to exchange data
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/305 Internet or TCP/IP protocol use for any electrophonic musical instrument data or musical parameter transmission purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/311 MIDI transmission G10H2240/056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/315 Firewire, i.e. transmission according to IEEE1394
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

Client is supplied in advance with a storage medium that has stored therein a pseudo display program, identical or similar to at least a portion of a display program of a Web site for selling or distributing products or information, along with URL information. The client opens or displays a pseudo Web site using the previously-supplied pseudo display program, without intervention of a network. When a desired product or information to be purchased by or distributed to a user is selected on the displayed pseudo Web site, a hyperlink connects the client to the real Web site via a network, after which the client goes forward with proceedings for purchase or distribution of the desired product or information by communicating with the real Web site.

Claims

1. A method for execution by a server on a network for supplying music piece data file to a client terminal, said method comprising:

receiving, from said client terminal, first request information designating a desired single music piece;

transmitting, to said client terminal, musical score data derived from a desired music piece data file corresponding to the desired single music piece designated by said first request information received from said client terminal, the musical score data including a series of musical score display event data for displaying an entire musical score of the desired single music piece, so that the entire musical score of the desired single music piece is displayed in said client terminal on the basis of the musical score data, wherein the desired music piece data file includes playback data for reproducing the desired single music piece and said musical score data, and wherein the playback data includes setting information and a series of reproduction event data;

receiving, from said client terminal, second request information designating a desired portion of the entire musical score of the music piece displayed in said client terminal, said desired portion being selected, by a user of said client terminal, from the displayed entire musical score of the music piece;

on the basis of the desired music piece data file and in accordance with said second request information received from said client terminal, creating a partial music piece data file corresponding to the desired portion designated by said second request information, the partial music piece data file including entire setting information having entirety of the setting information of the playback data copied therein, partial playback data having a series of partial reproduction event data extracted partially from the series of reproduction event data of the playback data, and partial musical score data having a series of partial musical score display event data extracted partially from the series of musical score display event data of the musical score data;

on the basis of said second request information, determining a selling price of the created partial music piece data file to be less than a selling price of the desired music piece data file, the selling price of the created partial music piece data being dependent upon one of a length and a location of the designated desired portion; and

transmitting the created partial music piece data file to the client terminal.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said server includes a storage device for storing a complete music piece data file corresponding to the desired single music piece.

3. A method for execution by a client apparatus on a network to receive a music piece data file via the network from a server, said method comprising:

transmitting, to said server, first request information designating a desired single music piece;

receiving, from said server, musical score data including a series of musical score display event data for displaying an entire musical score of the desired single music piece, the musical score data being derived from a desired music piece data file provided in said server and corresponding to the desired single music piece. the desired music piece data file including playback data for reproducing the desired single music piece and said musical score data, wherein the playback data including setting information and a series of reproduction event data;

displaying the entire musical score of the desired single music piece on the basis of the musical score data;

receiving user'"'"'s selection of a desired portion designated from the displayed entire musical score of the desired single music piece and transmitting, to said server, second request information indicating the designated desired portion,

wherein said server creates a partial music piece data file corresponding to the designated desired portion on the basis of the desired music piece data file and in accordance with the transmitted second request information, the partial music piece data file including entire setting information having entirety of the setting information of the playback data copied therein, partial playback data having a series of partial reproduction event data extracted partially from the series of reproduction event data of the playback data, and partial musical score data having a series of partial musical score display event data extracted partially from the series of musical score display event data of the musical score data,

wherein said server determines a selling price of the created partial music piece data file to be less than a selling price of the desired music piece data file, and

wherein the selling price of the created partial music piece data file is dependent upon one of a length and a location of the designated desired portion;

inputting billing-related information and transmitting the billing-related information to said server to thereby effect purchase of the desired portion designated from the displayed entire musical score of the desired single music piece; and

receiving, from said server, said partial music piece data file created by said server and corresponding to the desired portion designated by said second request information.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the predetermined billing-related information is at least one of a credit card number, an address to which an application form for remittance is to be sent, and user information for use of electronic money.

5. A server apparatus for supplying music piece data file to a client terminal, said apparatus comprising a programmed processor device for executing the steps of:

receiving, from said client terminal, first request information designating a desired single music piece;

transmitting, to said client terminal, musical score data derived from a desired music piece data file corresponding to the desired single music piece designated by said first request information received from said client terminal, the musical score data including a series of musical score display event data for displaying an entire musical score of the desired single music piece so that the entire musical score of the desired single music piece is displayed in said client terminal on the basis of the musical score data, the desired music piece data file including playback data for reproducing the desired single music piece and said musical score data, wherein the playback data including setting information and a series of reproduction event data;

receiving, from said client terminal, second request information designating a desired portion of the entire musical score of the music piece displayed in said client terminal, said desired portion being selected, by a user of said client terminal, from the displayed entire musical score of the music piece;

on the basis of the desired music piece data file and in accordance with said second request information received from said client terminal, creating a partial music piece data file corresponding to the desired portion designated by said second request information, the partial music piece data file including entire setting information having entirety of the selling information of the playback data copied therein;

partial playback data having a series of partial reproduction event data extracted partially from the series of reproduction event data of the playback data, and partial musical score data having a series of partial musical score display event data extracted partially from the series of musical score display event data of the musical score data;

on the basis of said second request information, determining a selling price of the created partial music piece data file, to be less than a selling price of the desired music piece data file, the selling price of the created partial music piece data being dependent upon one of a length and a location of the designated desired portion; and

transmitting the created partial music piece data file to the client terminal.

6. A client apparatus operatively coupled to a network for receiving a music piece data file via the network from a server, said client apparatus operatively coupled to a display device and an input device, said client apparatus comprising a programmed processor device programmed to execute the steps of:

transmitting, to said server, first request information designating a desired single music piece;

receiving, from said server, musical score data including a series of musical score display event data for displaying an entire musical score of the desired single music piece on the display device, the musical score data being derived from a desired music piece data file provided in said server and corresponding to the desired single music piece, the desired music piece data file including playback data for reproducing the desired single music piece and said musical score data, wherein the playback data including setting information and a series of reproduction event data;

displaying on the display device the entire musical score of the desired single music piece on the basis of the musical score data;

receiving user'"'"'s selection through said input device, of a desired portion designated from the displayed entire musical score of the desired single music piece and transmitting, to said server, second request information indicating the designated desired portion,

wherein said server creates a partial music piece data file corresponding to the designated desired portion on the basis of the desired music piece data file and in accordance with the transmitted second request information, the partial music piece data file including entire setting information having entirety of the setting information of the playback data copied therein, partial playback data having a series of partial reproduction event data extracted partially from the series of reproduction event data of the playback data, and partial musical score data having a series of partial musical score display event data extracted partially from the series of musical score display event data of the musical score data,

wherein said server determines a selling price of the created partial music piece data file to be less than a selling price of the desired music piece data file, and

wherein the selling price of the created partial music piece data file is dependent upon one of a length and a location of the designated desired portion;

receiving from said input device billing-related information;

transmitting the billing-related information to said server to thereby effect purchase of the desired portion designated from the displayed entire musical score of the desired single music piece; and

receiving, from said server, said partial music piece data file created by said server and corresponding to the desired portion designated by said second request information.