JP2005106926A - Music distribution system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a music distribution system that makes it possible to easily and immediately purchase music being distributed through an Internet radio terminal without knowing information on the music and also refer to detailed music information. <P>SOLUTION: The music distribution system comprises the Internet radio terminal 101 through which Internet radio programs are listened to, an Internet radio distribution server 111 which distributes streaming data for distribution to the Internet radio terminal 101, a PC 112 which generates the stream data for distribution of the Internet radio programs, a music information guide server 104 which provides music information on musical sounds to be distributed, a music selling site guide server 105 which holds address information on a music selling server described in the streaming data for distribution, the music selling site server 106 which controls sale of music at a music data purchase request, and a radio guide site server 107 which holds a list of radio stations. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a music distribution system in which an Internet radio terminal and an Internet radio distribution server are connected via a network, and more particularly to a technique for easily purchasing favorite music while watching an Internet radio in an in-vehicle terminal.

With the spread of high-speed and large-capacity network infrastructure such as CATV, ADSL, and FTTH in recent years, Internet broadbandization and constant connection have progressed, and music distribution through websites has been widely spread to the general public. A typical example is Internet radio.
This Internet radio is connected from a personal computer to a predetermined distribution server on the Internet, and music, talk programs, news programs, etc. placed on the distribution server are stored as audio digital compressed files compressed by MP3 or WMA, for example. It is provided by streaming that is played back while being downloaded on the PC or the like on the side. Examples of PC audio playback software that supports this streaming include Windows (registered trademark) media player and real player.

  In addition, as a delivery method from the server device, an already recorded program or the like is broadcast, and on-demand broadcast that is uploaded to the delivery server in a state stored in a file, or encoding and delivery are performed in parallel, and real time There are live broadcasts that are distributed in a variety of ways, and there are various bit rates of music data to be distributed. Note that the higher the bit rate of the music file to be transmitted, the better the sound quality.

  And since there are countless Internet radio stations in the world, it is difficult for users to directly and efficiently access a desired radio station. For this reason, there is a radio guide site for categorizing and linking for each music genre such as jazz and pop so that a plurality of Internet radio stations can be easily searched. The above-mentioned Windows (registered trademark), media player, etc. also have a function of connecting to a radio guide site. Recently, not only a PC but also a dedicated terminal capable of playing back an Internet radio such as “BiBio” sold by Sun Electronics Co., Ltd. has appeared.

FIG. 19 is an overall view of a conventional Internet radio music distribution system.
An Internet radio playback terminal 1901 that performs Internet radio playback and a broadband router 1902 that converts a global address and a local address are installed in a home, for example.
For example, in the case of an ADSL line, the broadband router 1902 negotiates a connection with the provider server 1903 according to a PPPoE (Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (registered trademark)) authentication protocol, and then, after being authenticated, A global IP address is assigned from the server 1903. The broadband router 1902 has a function of assigning a private IP address to the Internet radio playback terminal 1901 by the NAT function.

  The provider server 1903 is operated by an ISP (Internet Service Provider), and performs user authentication and global IP address assignment to a user terminal that wants to use the Internet connection service. As a result, the Internet radio playback terminal 1901 can be connected to the radio guide site server 1904 and the Internet radio distribution server 1905.

  The radio guide site server 1904 holds and manages URLs of a plurality of Internet radio stations 110 including the Internet radio distribution server 1905 as a list. The Internet radio playback terminal 1901 can connect to the radio guide server 1904 as a radio station guide function to acquire a list of radio stations and specify a linked Internet radio station 1905. In FIG. 19, only one Internet radio distribution server 1905 is shown for the sake of explanation, and the others are omitted.

The internet radio playback apparatus 1901 connects to the internet radio distribution server 1905 via the router 1902 or the provider server 1903 and downloads the music distribution stream. The Internet radio playback terminal 1901 can perform playback by reading this stream data.
In recent years, music distribution on the network has been actively performed. In this music distribution, a user specifies music to be downloaded, connects to a dedicated music distribution server via a network, performs authentication processing and purchase processing, and downloads digital music data to a hard disk, an SD card, or the like. This makes it possible to purchase favorite music.

By the way, in recent years, various methods of using music information distributed via wire or wireless have been proposed. For example, an invention relating to a music distribution system that can be easily purchased even when the name of a song being broadcast is not known during vehicle driving is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1).
The music distribution center according to Patent Document 1 includes a broadcast station estimation unit that identifies a broadcast station from a frequency band, a music search unit that searches for music broadcast from a frequency band and a time band, and an entity of the broadcast music. Search information such as frequency band information and time information is transmitted from the in-vehicle terminal, which is a user who desires to acquire music, to the music distribution center. It is possible to search music that has been purchased and return music data to be purchased to the user.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-236487

  However, in the above-described conventional Internet radio playback terminal device that can play back Internet radio, it is not possible to perform processing related to music purchase or recording that is directly output from the Internet radio while viewing Internet radio broadcasts. The reason for this is that in conventional Internet radio distribution, when purchasing music, there is no unified platform for communication between the Internet radio distribution server that distributes Internet radio and the sales system that manages music sales. Can be mentioned.

  And, for example, in order to purchase music that the user likes while viewing using conventional Internet radio, after accessing the Internet radio distribution server, first the song you want to purchase via the browser screen on the homepage Is connected to a dedicated music sales server different from the distribution server of the Internet radio station, inputs a credit card number and the like, and after the authentication processing is completed, downloads and purchase processing. Thus, it is difficult to implement user processing in music purchase that requires a plurality of current processing procedures, particularly in an in-vehicle environment that requires safety.

  Also, instead of purchasing the music being output from the Internet radio suddenly, if it is possible to record and audition from the beginning of the song and with the same high-quality sound as a CD, not from the middle of the song, the user's decision on purchasing music This can contribute to an increase in the number of music sold via the Internet radio terminal, and the user who has performed the purchase process by referring to the song information can know the song information in more detail.

Furthermore, when trying to simultaneously receive Internet radio and purchase requests using a single communication method, the load of communication generated by the processing of purchase requests is particularly affected in in-vehicle terminals such as car audio systems where the communication state becomes unstable. There is also a problem that the sound quality of the internet radio being received is deteriorated and the sound quality of the music data to be purchased is deteriorated.
In recent years, music distribution via a network involves a process in which a user selects music information to be purchased and downloads it using information displayed on a browser screen on a homepage. The purchase process cannot be performed without knowing the music information to be purchased, such as the artist name.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and when a favorite song is broadcast during the output of the Internet radio, the user of the Internet radio terminal can easily perform the operation without knowing the information of the song being output. An object of the present invention is to provide a music distribution system that can perform a process of purchasing music being output.
In addition, the present invention provides a music distribution system capable of creating and managing a unified platform for selling music with Internet terminals, Internet radio distribution servers, and music sales system servers as users. Also aimed at.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, in the music purchase processing from the Internet radio by the user, the music to be purchased can be downloaded without incurring the purchase or trial listening from the beginning of the song or the deterioration of the sound quality of the Internet radio being distributed in the in-vehicle environment. A third object is to provide a music distribution system.

In order to achieve the object, the music distribution system according to the present invention is [Claim 1], more preferably [Claim 2].
Thus, the user of the Internet radio terminal of the music distribution system according to the present invention can easily purchase the music being output from the Internet radio terminal by connecting to the sales server without knowing the song information. It is possible to improve convenience when purchasing music through the network of the user of the Internet radio terminal. In addition, since the music distribution stream created by the creation device in the music distribution system according to the present invention is provided with the song information and the address information of the server for sale, the purchase of music at the Internet terminal that has received this information In the process, detailed music information can be easily acquired, and music can be purchased via the network by specifying the address of the sales server.

Furthermore, the music distribution system according to the present invention is [Claim 3].
For this reason, even when performing purchase processing for listening to or listening to the Internet radio terminal according to the present invention, music purchase from the beginning is not performed from the middle of the song from the sales server via the second communication means. It is possible to eliminate the user's anxiety when purchasing music and improve convenience.

The music distribution system according to the present invention is [Claim 5].
Thereby, since the Internet terminal according to the present invention includes the narrow area communication means for performing communication with the base station capable of high speed communication, the above-described effects can be effectively obtained particularly in an in-vehicle environment.

  Note that the present invention can be realized not only as a music distribution system as described above, but also as an Internet radio terminal, an address providing server, and a creation device for creating a music distribution stream that constitute the music distribution system. Of course, the music distribution system can be realized as a music distribution method having steps as means. Furthermore, the Internet radio terminal according to the present invention can be realized particularly as an in-vehicle terminal.

  According to the music distribution system of the present invention, the stream data distributed from the Internet radio music distribution server is provided with the address information of the music sales destination server along with the music information. When the purchase process is performed, this address information is read out, and it is possible to directly connect to the music sales destination server via the network and perform the purchase process of the music being distributed. For this reason, there is an advantage that music purchase processing can be easily performed with a single process, particularly in an in-vehicle environment that requires safety, without requiring a plurality of purchase processes.

  In addition, the internet radio terminal according to the present invention enables the purchase of music from a base station capable of high-speed download by grasping the communication state with an external network, and the communication environment may be unstable. In this case, it is possible to perform Internet radio viewing and music purchase processing without degrading sound quality.

Hereinafter, a music distribution system using an Internet radio terminal and an Internet radio distribution server according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 shows an overall view of a music distribution system according to the first embodiment. The first embodiment is characterized in that it is a music distribution system that can easily purchase a song that the user likes while listening to the Internet radio even if the song name is unknown.

  The home network 100 is connected to an Internet radio terminal 101, a router 102, and a network such as a LAN. The internet radio terminal 101 is a terminal such as a home audio system for viewing internet radio, and is, for example, a PC or a dedicated internet radio terminal. The router 102 mainly changes local and global addresses.

The internet radio terminal 101 is connected to the provider server 103 via the router 102. The provider server 103 assigns a global address to the router 102.
The internet radio terminal 101 is connected to the internet radio station 110 via a network. The Internet radio station 110 includes a PC 112 that generates Internet radio distribution streaming data and an Internet radio distribution server 111 that distributes distribution streaming data to the Internet radio terminal 101.

  In the present invention, the music information guide server 104 for providing music information of music to be distributed to the PC 112 via the network, and the address of the music sales server described in the streaming data for distribution to the PC 112 A music sales site guide server 105 that holds information, a music sales site server 106 that manages sales of music in response to a music data purchase request from the Internet radio terminal 101, and a radio that includes a radio station list database that holds a list of radio stations A guide site server 107 is connected. In FIG. 1, only one music sales site server 106 is shown and the others are omitted to simplify the drawing, but there are actually a plurality of servers. Further, the music information guide server 104 and the music sales site guide server 105 may be realized by one server. In still another embodiment, the music information guide server 104, the music sales site guide server 105, and the radio guide server 107 are used. May be realized by one server.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the Internet radio distribution server 111 and the PC 112 provided in the Internet radio station 110. The music distribution streaming data distributed by the Internet radio is created in the PC 112 and managed in a data format that allows the Internet radio distribution server 111 to perform streaming distribution in real time.

  The Internet radio distribution server 111 includes a communication unit 201 for connecting to the Internet, a streaming data storage unit 202 for uploading and storing streaming data for distributing Internet radio to the Internet radio terminal 101 from the PC 112, a CPU 203, A memory 204 is provided as temporary storage means used by the CPU 203 to perform calculations.

  The PC 112 receives a CPU 210, a memory 211 that is a temporary storage means used by the CPU 210 to perform calculations, a communication unit 212 that is an interface for connecting to the Internet radio distribution server 111, an input from a user, for example, a keyboard, An input unit 213 realized by a mouse, an input information reading unit 214 that processes input from the input unit 213 and notifies an input signal to the CPU 210, a CD-ROM drive 215 that accepts insertion of a music CD from a user, and a CD-ROM A CD reading unit 216 that processes music CD insertion from the drive 215 and reads music data in the CD, and a drawing that is a circuit that converts various images into drawing data for display on the display monitor 220 under the control of the CPU 210 Output from LSI 217 and drawing LSI 217 Thus, a display monitor 220 for displaying distribution stream data editing on the screen, an HDD 218 for temporarily storing the OS and streaming data for distribution before uploading to the Internet radio distribution server 111, and a server device on the network via the communication unit 212. And a distribution streaming creation unit 219 that creates distribution streaming data to be distributed to the Internet radio distribution server 111 in accordance with an instruction from the input information reading unit 214.

FIG. 3 shows a functional block diagram of the Internet radio terminal 101 in the home network 100 according to the first embodiment.
The communication unit 301 is an interface for communicating with the broadband router 102.
The DAC 302 is a circuit that converts an Internet radio sound file received under the control of the CPU 311 from digital to analog in order to output to the speaker 303. In FIG. 3, an amplifier arranged between the DAC 302 and the speaker 303 is omitted.

The drawing LSI 304 is a circuit that converts the list of Internet radio stations 110 received based on the control of the CPU 311 into drawing data for display on the display monitor 305.
The input unit 306 receives an input from the user and is realized by, for example, a remote controller or a touch switch. The input information reading unit 307 processes the input from the input unit 306 and notifies the CPU 311 of the input signal.

The memory 308 is a storage unit used for temporarily storing an audio file for Internet radio streaming or for executing a program that controls the entire process of the Internet radio terminal 101.
The music storage unit 309 stores music that the user likes and purchases from the Internet radio distribution server 111 and is realized by, for example, an HDD, a DVD, or a memory card.
The billing unit 310 is a means for performing payment processing for purchased music. For example, the billing unit 310 displays the amount charged by the billing unit 310 on the screen before performing the music purchase processing.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of each server device that provides information to each Internet radio station 110 and Internet radio terminal 101 according to the first embodiment.
The music information guide server 104 is a server that provides music information to the PC 112 of the Internet radio station 110. The music information guide server 104 is connected to the PC 112 via the Internet and is described in a music distribution stream that transmits and receives data. A music information database 104a, which is a storage means for storing music CD information that is music information, such as music identification ID, artist name, title name, recorded album name, sales price, and the like, is provided. The music information database 104a is realized by, for example, CDDB (Compact Disc Data Base).

The music sales site guide server 105 describes address information (for example, URL and IP address) of the communication unit 105b for connecting to the PC 112 of the Internet radio station 110 via the Internet and the music sales site server 106 that sells music. A music sales site database 105a is provided.
The music sales site server 106 includes a communication unit 106c for connecting to the Internet radio terminal 101 of the home network 100 via the Internet, and storage means for storing user information such as a user name, address, telephone number, billing method, and the like in advance. User database 106b, song database 106a which is a storage means for storing song data to be distributed or sold to users in advance, and authentication for performing authentication processing of the Internet radio terminal 101 which is a communication partner using a user ID, a password or the like A portion 106d is provided. Note that the song data described above includes song data for trial listening.

  The radio guide site server 107 includes a communication unit 107b that transmits a list of Internet radio stations to the Internet radio terminal 101, and a radio station list database 107a that stores a list of radio stations. Note that a radio station to be newly distributed or a radio station whose URL has been changed performs registration and update processing of the URL to the radio guide site server 107, so that the user on the Internet radio terminal 101 side It becomes possible to accurately grasp the address information of the URL of a newly added or changed radio station.

  FIG. 5 is a reference diagram of information recorded in the data table held in the music information database 104a of the music information guide server 104 and the music sales site database 105a of the music sales site guide server 105 according to the first embodiment. .

  FIG. 5A shows a song information table 500 recorded in the music information database 104 a of the music information guide server 104. In this song information table 500, information related to the artist name 502, album name 503, and other songs corresponding to each song 501 is recorded, and this table information is provided to the PC 112 that creates a distribution stream.

  FIG. 5B shows information recorded in the music sales site database 105 a of the music distribution site guide server 105. In this address information table 510, music 511 and a music sales site server address 512 corresponding to each music are recorded. Then, the PC 112 that creates the distribution stream acquires information related to the music sales site server address from the address information table 510. The music sales site server 106 is operated by a record company, for example.

  In the music distribution system configured as described above, an operation until the PC 112 creates streaming data for Internet radio distribution and uploads the created data to the Internet radio distribution server 111 will be described.

FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram when the PC 112 according to the first embodiment uploads a music distribution stream to the Internet radio distribution server 111.
First, when the CD reading unit 216 of the PC 112 detects that a music CD has been inserted, it transmits a CD insertion detection signal to the CPU 210 (S601). The CPU 210 that has received the CD insertion detection signal notifies the display monitor 220 that a CD has been inserted (S602).
Next, when the CPU 210 has a ripping instruction for converting the digital audio data stored in the music CD from the user into a file format that can be processed by the PC 112 via the input unit 213 (S603), the CPU 210 makes a ripping request. The digital audio data stored in the music CD is stored in the HDD 218 in the WAVE format, for example (S604 and S605).

Then, the display monitor 220 is notified that the ripping has been completed (S606), and the CPU 210 is notified when the user selects a song to be distributed via the Internet radio from the input unit 213 (S607).
Further, the CPU 210 is connected to the music information guide server 104 via the communication unit 212, and issues a request for acquiring the song information of the song selected by the user (S608). The music information guide server 104 searches the music information database 104a for music information, and returns the music information as a response to the PC 112 (S609).

  The CPU 210 of the PC 112 that has received the music information via the communication unit 212 stores the received music information in the HDD 218 (S610). Next, the CPU 210 connects to the music sales site guide server 105 via the communication unit 212, and issues a sales site information acquisition request for acquiring address information of the sales site (S611). The music sales site guide server 105 refers to the music sales site database 105a and returns information on the sales site as a response to the PC 112 (S612). And CPU210 which acquired the music sales site address via the communication part 212 is preserve | saved at HDD218 (S613).

  Next, the CPU 210 proceeds to a process of compressing the music selected in S607 out of the music data stored in the HDD 218 (S614). As an audio compression method, for example, compression is performed in a format such as MP3, WMA, or ASF. At this time, it is preferable to reduce the bit rate so that the sound quality is equivalent to that of the conventional AM / FM broadcast, for example, 20 kbps or 32 kbps. At the same time, the streaming information for distribution is generated by combining the song information stored in the HDD 218 and the sales site information with the song data compressed in S614, and is stored again in the HDD 218 (S615). The distribution streaming data structure will be described later with reference to FIG.

  Finally, the streaming data for distribution generated in S615 is uploaded to the Internet radio distribution server 111, and a series of processes on the PC 112 side is terminated (S616). The Internet radio distribution server 111 uploads and stores the received distribution streaming data to the distribution streaming storage unit 202.

  As described above, in the PC 112, streaming data for distribution to which information that can be easily purchased from the music sales site server 106 even if the music title that the user who watches the Internet radio likes does not know the music title is given. Can be generated.

FIG. 7A shows an example of the data configuration of distribution streaming data 700 generated by the PC 112 according to the first embodiment and distributed to the Internet radio terminal 101.
Address information is described in the header portion 701, and the address of the Internet radio terminal 101 is described in the destination address 703. The source address 704 describes the address of the Internet radio distribution server 111.

  Next, the data portion 702 follows. In the present invention, the data portion 702 includes song information 705, music sales site server address information 706, and streaming data 707, and the music sales site server address information 706 on the Internet radio terminal 101 side. It is possible to obtain music directly from the music sales site server 106 by referring to. The distribution streaming header section 701 is created by the Internet radio distribution server 111, and the data section 702 is created by the distribution streaming creation section 219 of the PC 112.

As described in S608 to S610 in FIG. 6, the song information 705 is information acquired from the music information guide server 104 by the PC 112 via the communication unit 212, and includes a song identification ID 708 for identifying a song, and an artist name 709. , Title name 710, recorded album name 711, and price 712.
As described in S611 to S613 in FIG. 6, the music sales site server address information 706 is information acquired from the music sales site guide server 105. Here, the Internet radio terminal 101 purchases music in the streaming data. Sometimes this means connecting to the music sales site server 106 described in the music sales site server address information 706.

  As described in S614 in FIG. 6, the streaming data 707 is data generated by audio compression processing of a song ripped from a CD. The data portion 702 is “music information 705, music sales site server address information 706, streaming data 707”, but if there are a plurality of music to be distributed, “music information 705, music sales site server address information 706, A set of “streaming data 707” is recorded in the data portion 702 in a daisy chain.

Next, the operation steps until the Internet radio terminal 101 according to the present invention starts listening to the Internet radio will be described.
FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an operation procedure when the Internet radio terminal 101 according to Embodiment 1 performs streaming playback of the Internet radio.
First, a PPP link is established between the broadband router 102 and the provider server 103 (S801), and the router 102 assigns a private IP address to the Internet radio terminal 101 (S802).

  Next, the Internet radio terminal 101 connects to the radio guide site server 107 and requests a list of radio stations (S803). Receiving the list request, the radio guide site server 107 returns the list to the Internet radio terminal 101 (S804). The internet radio terminal 101 that has received the list displays a list of internet radio stations on the display monitor 305 based on the control of the CPU 311 (S805).

  Next, when the user selects a radio station desired to be distributed from the input unit 306 from the Internet radio stations displayed on the display monitor 305 (S806), the Internet radio terminal 101 is selected by the user based on the control of the CPU 311. A streaming for distribution of music data is requested to the radio station, in this case, the Internet radio distribution server 111 (S807). Then, the Internet radio distribution server 111 that has received the distribution stream as a response returns an acknowledgment that the streaming distribution is to be performed (S808). Thereby, the streaming is distributed from the Internet radio distribution server 111 (S809), and the Internet radio terminal 101 that receives the streaming can reproduce the sound from the speaker 303 by reading the digital trimming data of the distribution stream. .

Next, an operation procedure when the Internet radio terminal 101 performs music purchase processing will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the present invention is characterized in that the user of the Internet radio terminal 101 can purchase the Internet radio immediately while playing the Internet radio without knowing detailed information about the song.
When streaming is being played back (S809) and the user inputs that he / she wants to purchase a song from the input unit 306, a purchase request is transmitted to the CPU 311 (S901). Receiving the purchase request, the CPU 311 reads the streaming data currently being received, and based on the music sales site server address information 706, the CPU 311 is different from the connection used for streaming transfer to the music sales site server 106. A connection request for requesting connection establishment is transmitted (S902). Then, when the “connection response OK” is received (S903), a request is made to purchase music data currently being reproduced (S904).

  Thereafter, the music data transmitted from the music sales site server 106 is received (S905), and the received music data is stored in the music storage unit 309 (S906). It should be noted that the reception of the song data need not be performed immediately in the case where it is determined that the music quality to be purchased or the sound quality of the Internet radio will be deteriorated depending on the communication state, and should be performed in a stable communication state. Become.

If the music data is normally stored, the process then proceeds to billing processing. The CPU 311 acquires information for charging from the charging unit 310, for example, a credit card number (S907), and transfers the information to the music sales site server 106 (S908). This information transfer is preferably encrypted by SSL or the like. The music sales site server 106 performs billing processing based on the billing information received from the Internet radio terminal 101, and returns a response (S909). The Internet radio terminal 101 that has received the response displays whether or not the charging process has been normally performed based on the received response, and displays the charge on the display monitor 305 if the charging has been performed normally (S910). .
Thereby, the user of the Internet radio terminal 101 can easily purchase a favorite song while listening to the Internet radio even if the song title is not known.

  Note that the processing from S902 to S910 need not be performed immediately, and may be performed, for example, when there is a margin in the communication bandwidth of the network. In the description of the first embodiment, the accounting process (S907) is performed after the music data transfer from the music sales site server 106 (S905) in consideration of the case where downloading of the music information does not end normally. However, the billing process may be performed before the song data transfer, and the song information may be downloaded from the music sales site server 106 after being authenticated.

FIG. 7B shows an example of the data structure of the music purchase request packet 720 transmitted from the Internet radio terminal 101 to the music sales site server 106 according to the first embodiment.
The purchase request packet 720 includes a header portion 721 and a data portion 722 to which information such as an address is added, a destination address 723 is an address of the music sales site server 106, and a transmission source address 724 is an address of the Internet radio terminal 101. Is described. The data section 722 has a user ID 725 for identifying the user, a song identification ID 726 for identifying the song that the user wants to purchase, and the Internet radio terminal 101 that the user of the Internet radio terminal 101 is listening to and connected to. Internet radio station identification ID 727 is described. The Internet radio station identification ID 727 is not always necessary, but is an item necessary for realizing the money flow described later.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an authentication procedure in music data distribution in the music sales site server 106.
First, the music sales site server 106 performs authentication processing of the Internet radio terminal 101 that is a communication partner in the authentication unit 106d (S1001). This authentication process is performed using a password or a user ID.

  If the authentication process is valid (Y in S1001), the music data to be purchased by the user of the Internet terminal 101 is acquired from the song database 106a using the song identification ID (S1002). If the authentication process is not valid (N in S1001), the process of receiving a purchase request packet from the Internet terminal 101 is performed again.

  Next, the music data desired to be purchased is transmitted to the Internet terminal 101 via the communication unit 106c, and the process is terminated (S1003). The music data distributed from the music sales site server 106 has a bit rate of, for example, 128 Kbps or higher, and can realize high sound quality equivalent to a CD.

FIG. 11 is an operation flowchart showing the timing of when purchase processing is performed in the Internet radio terminal 101 according to the first embodiment.
First, the communication unit 301 determines whether or not the Internet radio sound quality is deteriorated if the purchase process is immediately performed (S1101). This determination can be made, for example, by comparing the bit rate of streaming during reception with the communication band. Note that the sound quality deterioration means that the packet data arrival delay of the Internet radio is caused by performing together with other processing.

  When it is determined that the sound quality is not deteriorated (N in S1101), the purchase process is immediately performed (S1102). If it is determined that the sound quality will be deteriorated (Y in S1101), it is monitored whether or not the user has finished listening to the Internet radio. If not, the process of S1103 is repeated (N in S1103). When the user finishes viewing (Y in S1103), the Internet radio terminal 101 connects to the music distribution site server 106 and performs music purchase processing (S1104).

  Therefore, the user of the Internet radio terminal 101 can perform a favorite music purchase process without any deterioration in sound quality when the user purchases a song while listening to the Internet radio under a low communication band. .

  Next, when the user of the Internet radio terminal 101 listens to the Internet radio and listens to a favorite song, an operation procedure in the case of cueing and recording not from the middle of the song will be described. Usually, when recording a streaming from the Internet radio distribution server 111, when the user wants to record (download), it is already in the middle of the song. On the other hand, the streaming from the Internet radio distribution server 111 is not recorded, but the data for trial listening is transmitted from the music sales site server 106.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a communication sequence between the Internet radio terminal 101 and the music sales site server 106 when recording when the user listens.
When the music distribution streaming is transferred on the Internet radio terminal 101 (S809), if the user inputs that he / she wants to listen to the music from the input unit 306, a trial listening request is transmitted to the CPU 311 (S1201).

The CPU 311 that has received the trial listening request refers to the connection used for streaming transfer to the music sales site server 106 based on the address such as the URL to the music sales site server 106 in the streaming data currently being distributed. A connection request for requesting establishment of another connection is transmitted (S1202).
When a “connection response OK” is received as a response (S1203), next, a trial listening of the currently reproduced music data is requested (S1204). Thereafter, the music data transmitted from the music sales site server 106 is received (S1205), and the received music data is stored in the music storage unit 309 (S1206). The music data for trial listening is data having a lower bit rate and a lower sound quality than the music data when purchased. In FIG. 12, music data for trial listening acquired on the Internet radio terminal 101 side may be managed so as to be automatically deleted if it is reproduced a predetermined number of times.

  Therefore, the user of the Internet terminal 101 establishes a connection different from the Internet radio distribution server 111 with the music distribution site server 106 when acquiring the music data for trial listening, Since music to be purchased can be recorded from the beginning instead of from the middle, it is possible to encourage the user to make a decision to purchase music and contribute to an increase in the number of music sales.

Next, the flow of money in the music distribution system of the present invention will be shown using FIG.
FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of money among the Internet radio terminal 101, the music sales site, the Internet radio station 110, and the copyright holder who are users who purchase music.
First, the Internet radio terminal 101 and the music sales site have a relationship of “pay purchase price (1301)” as a consideration for purchasing music from the Internet radio terminal 101 side to the music sales site side.

  In addition, there is a relationship between the Internet radio station 110 and the music sales site “pay the broadcasting fee (1302)” as a price for broadcasting the music from the Internet radio station 110 side to the music sales site side. . Furthermore, there is a relationship “pay introduction fee (1303)” from the music sales site side to the Internet radio station 110 side in return for providing an opportunity for the user of the Internet radio terminal 101 to purchase a new song. Furthermore, there is a relationship between the music sales site and the copyright holder that “pay copyright fee (1304)” from the music sales site to the copyright holder.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, when the user likes and purchases the music information distributed by the Internet radio station 110, an introduction fee will be charged, which can be used as an operating fund. Thus, even an individual can easily open the Internet radio station 110 including music content that is copyrighted. On the other hand, from the standpoint of the music seller or the copyright owner, the more the Internet radio station 110 is opened, the more business opportunities can be obtained, so the user of the Internet radio terminal 101, the Internet radio station 110, All music sales sites and copyright holders can enjoy the merits of the music distribution system according to the present invention.

  As described above, in the music distribution system according to the first embodiment, the music distribution stream generated by the distribution stream generation unit 219 of the PC 112 and distributed from the Internet radio distribution server 111 to the Internet radio terminal 101. The data 700 includes music information 705 acquired from the music information guide site server 104 and music sales site server address information 706 acquired from the music sales site guide server 105.

  Therefore, in the Internet radio terminal 101 that receives the distribution stream data 700 and performs Internet radio playback, the user can easily know the music information of the music that is playing even if the user does not know the information about the music. The purchase process of a favorite song being distributed can be easily performed according to the address information of the music sales site server 106, for example, by a single process of pressing a purchase-dedicated button, and the music purchase of the user who plays the Internet radio It is possible to improve convenience at the time and perform music purchase processing more closely.

In addition, the music distribution system according to the present invention can be a unified platform for performing communication between the Internet radio terminal 101, the Internet radio distribution server 111, and the sales system that manages music sales.
Furthermore, the Internet radio terminal 101 according to the present invention is connected to the Internet distribution server 111 even when performing purchase processing or downloading for trial listening to the music sales site server 106 during distribution of the Internet radio. Establish another connection with the music sales site server 106, and record and listen to the song data from the beginning instead of from the middle of the song, and users who purchase the song can purchase and purchase the music with peace of mind. Can contribute to an increase in the number of music sales using Internet radio.

  In addition, the Internet radio terminal 101 according to the first embodiment includes the communication unit 301 that determines whether or not the sound quality deterioration is caused if the purchase process is performed immediately during distribution, so that the communication band is low. When purchasing while listening to Internet radio, purchase processing is performed in a region where the communication band is stable after the end of viewing Internet radio, so the sound quality of the Internet radio being viewed is not degraded. Moreover, it is not necessary to deteriorate the sound quality of the music to be purchased.

Furthermore, in the music distribution system according to the present invention, since the copyright management is performed among the user of the Internet radio terminal 101, the Internet radio station 110, the music sales site, and the copyright holder, a malicious third It is possible to provide a music distribution system that protects copyrights by preventing unauthorized copying of music data.
In the description of the first embodiment, the Internet radio terminal 101 is not limited to being installed in a home, but is similarly implemented in an environment where it is installed in a moving body such as a car and can be connected to an external network. Needless to say, you can.

(Embodiment 2)
Hereinafter, a music distribution system and an in-vehicle terminal according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the in-vehicle terminal according to the second embodiment is characterized in that it is possible to easily purchase a song being distributed by Internet radio in an in-vehicle environment without knowing the information of the song.

FIG. 14 is a schematic overall view of a music distribution system according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.
In FIG. 14, the in-vehicle terminal 1402 is connected to the provider server 103 via a mobile phone 1403 that receives Internet radio such as music, and the Internet radio viewing / purchase processing from the Internet radio distribution server 111 is performed in the vehicle 1401. be able to. The in-vehicle terminal 1402 is, for example, a car navigation device or a car audio.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the in-vehicle terminal 1402. The in-vehicle terminal 1402 according to the second embodiment includes a route search unit 1501, a position measurement unit 1502, and a short-range wireless communication unit 1503 in addition to the configuration of the Internet radio terminal 101 of the first embodiment described above.
The route search unit 1501 searches for a route from the departure point to the destination when the vehicle moves, and is realized by a program. The position measurement unit 1502 is, for example, a GPS receiver, a vehicle speed sensor, a gyro, or the like for obtaining the current position. The short-range wireless communication unit 1503 can connect to the Internet at a higher speed than the mobile phone 1403 by a communication method such as a wireless LAN or DSRC.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the music sales site server 106. In the second embodiment, a base station database 1601 is provided in addition to the configuration of the music sales site server 106 of the first embodiment described above.
The base station database 1601 is a database that stores the positions of base stations with which the in-vehicle terminal 1402 can communicate using the short-range wireless communication unit 1503. The in-vehicle terminal 1402 can download and record the music to be purchased from the base station via the short-range wireless communication unit 1503 at high speed with high sound quality. Base stations include hot spots provided on highways, service areas, gas stations, and the like. Similarly, the base station performs communication using a communication method such as wireless LAN or DSRC.

An operation procedure in the music distribution system according to the second embodiment configured as described above will be described.
FIG. 17 is a communication sequence diagram between the in-vehicle terminal 1402 and the music sales site server 106 according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 17, in order not to cause deterioration of the sound quality of the Internet radio being received by the in-vehicle terminal 1402, the music data purchase process is not performed immediately, and the place where the purchase process with a stable communication band should be performed is the music sales site server. The notification is received from 106.

  First, when music streaming is being played on the in-vehicle terminal 1402 (S809), when the user performs an input process for purchasing music from the input unit 306, a purchase request is transmitted to the CPU 311 (S1701). The CPU 311 that has received the purchase request refers to the position measurement unit 1601 to acquire the current location (S1702), and refers to the route search unit 1602 to acquire current route information (S1703).

  Next, based on the address to the music sales site server 106 in the streaming data currently being distributed, the music sales site server 106 is requested to establish a connection different from the connection used for streaming transfer. The connection request is transmitted (S1704). When the “connection response OK” is received (S1705), the purchase of the currently reproduced music data is requested (S1706). At this time, in S1706, the current location information and route information acquired in S1702 and S1703 are simultaneously transmitted.

  In addition, the music sales site server 106 that has received the purchase request confirms the position of the in-vehicle terminal 1402 on the route, and further refers to the base station database 1601 to determine a place where communication processing for music purchase can be performed. The in-vehicle terminal 1402 is notified (S1707). The CPU 311 that has received the control controls (reroutes) the route search unit 106 so as to set the route at the location notified in S1707 (S1708).

Next, an operation procedure when the in-vehicle terminal 1402 approaches the place notified from the music sales site server 106 and performs music purchase processing will be described.
FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing a procedure for purchasing music so that the in-vehicle terminal 1402 does not cause deterioration in sound quality. First, it is determined whether or not the mobile body including the in-vehicle terminal 1402 is approaching the notified purchase location (S1801). If it is not approaching yet (N in S1801), the purchase place confirmation process is performed again.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the purchase location is approaching the notified location (Y in S1801), it is next determined whether or not the near field communication unit 1503 of the in-vehicle terminal 1402 is usable ( S1802). If the short-range wireless communication unit 1503 is not usable (N in S1802), it is determined again whether or not the short-range wireless communication unit 1503 is usable.

If the short-range wireless communication unit 1503 is enabled (Y in S1802), the short-range wireless communication unit 1503 of the in-vehicle terminal 1402 connects to the music sales site server 106 and purchases music to be purchased. Processing is performed (S1803).
As described above, the in-vehicle terminal 1402 according to the second embodiment includes a route search unit 1501 that searches for a route, a position measurement unit 1502 that searches a current position, and a short distance that connects to the Internet at high speed. A wireless communication unit 1503 is provided. Further, in the music sales site server 106 that distributes music, a base station database 1601 that holds information of base stations that perform music distribution, and searches for the nearest base station from the base station database 1601 based on the location information. The result is transmitted to the in-vehicle terminal 1402.

  Therefore, the in-vehicle terminal 1402 according to the second embodiment does not immediately perform the music purchase process, but performs it at a designated place where high-speed communication notified from the music sales site server 106 is possible. Therefore, in the in-vehicle environment where the communication state is not stable, the music data desired to be purchased can be downloaded while reliably preventing the deterioration of the sound quality of streaming Internet radio being received, and the user can purchase the music data. Convenience and safety in processing can be improved.

  Note that the content distributed from the Internet radio distribution server 111 according to each embodiment described above is not limited to music data, and is similarly applied to video data (Internet television) that can be distributed in the same manner. can do.

  The music distribution system according to the present invention can be applied to communication between an Internet radio distribution station that distributes Internet radio, a PC that edits stream data for music distribution, and an Internet radio terminal. It can be applied to various car navigation devices and car audio systems.

1 shows an overall view of a music distribution system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the internet radio terminal with which an internet radio station is equipped, and PC. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of an Internet radio terminal in the home network according to the first embodiment. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a server apparatus that provides information to each Internet radio station and Internet radio terminal according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a reference diagram of information recorded in a data table held in a music information database and a music sales site database according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram when the PC according to Embodiment 1 uploads a music distribution stream to an Internet radio distribution server. 6 shows an example of the data structure of streaming data for distribution and purchase request packet according to the first embodiment. 6 is a sequence diagram showing an operation procedure when the Internet radio terminal according to Embodiment 1 performs streaming reproduction of the Internet radio. FIG. It is a sequence diagram which shows the operation | movement procedure at the time of an internet radio terminal performing the music purchase process from a music sales site server. It is a flowchart which shows the authentication procedure in the music data delivery in a music sales site server. 6 is an operation flowchart showing timing of when purchase processing is performed in the Internet radio terminal according to the first embodiment. It is a figure which shows the communication sequence between an internet radio terminal and a music sales site server when a user listens. It is a schematic diagram which shows the flow of money among the internet radio terminal which is the user who purchases music, a music sales site, an internet radio station, and a copyright holder. 3 is a schematic overall view of a music distribution system according to Embodiment 2. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of an in-vehicle terminal according to Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of a music sales site server. It is a communication sequence diagram between the vehicle-mounted terminal and music sales site server according to Embodiment 2. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure which purchases music so that the vehicle-mounted terminal which concerns on Embodiment 2 does not cause sound quality degradation. It is a general view of a conventional Internet radio music distribution system.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Home network 101 Internet radio terminal 102 Router 103 Provider server 104 Music information guide site server 104a Music information database 105 Music sales site guide server 105a Music sales site database 106 Music sales site server 106a Music database 106b User database 107 Radio guide site server 110 Internet radio station 111 Internet radio distribution server 112 PC
202 Streaming storage unit for distribution 219 Streaming unit for distribution 301 Communication unit 309 Music storage unit 700 Stream data for distribution 720 Purchase request packet 1402 In-vehicle terminal 1403 Mobile phone 1501 Route search unit 1502 Position measurement unit 1503 Near field communication unit 1601 Base Bureau database

Claims (15)

A radio distribution server that distributes Internet radio, an Internet radio terminal that receives and plays music distribution streaming distributed from the radio distribution server, and a sales server that manages music sales are connected via a network. Music distribution system,
The radio distribution server is
A distribution means for distributing a music distribution stream in which address information of the sales server that sells the music is recorded together with the music data to the Internet radio terminal;
The Internet radio terminal is
Output means for converting the music data being streamed for music distribution into sound and outputting the sound;
Receiving means for receiving a purchase request for music being output from the user;
Communication means for transmitting and receiving data to and from the radio distribution server and the sales server;
The communication means makes a purchase request for the music to the sales server corresponding to the address information when the purchase request is received by the reception means. In the server for sale,
A music database to store music for sale;
Music receiving means for receiving the music purchase request from the music database and transmitting the music according to the purchase request to the Internet radio terminal;
The internet radio terminal further includes:
The music distribution system according to claim 1, further comprising music storage means for storing the music transmitted from the sales server and received by the communication means. The internet radio terminal further includes:
Audition request accepting means for accepting a request to view music being output from the user;
When the trial listening request is received in the trial listening request means, the second listening means for making a request for viewing the music to the sales server corresponding to the address information,
The sales server further includes:
A music database for audition storing music for audition;
The music for listening to the trial listening request is acquired from the music database for trial listening when the music trial listening request is received, and is cued and transmitted to the Internet radio terminal. Music distribution system. The radio distribution server transmits a music streaming for trial listening for music listening as the streaming for music distribution,
The internet radio terminal further includes:
When the communication means receives the trial music streaming, the communication means includes a deletion means for detecting the number of times the trial music data is reproduced in the output means, and deleting the trial music streaming when the number of detections exceeds a predetermined value. The music distribution system according to claim 3. The internet radio terminal further includes:
A route search means for searching for a route from the departure point to the destination point;
Position measuring means for acquiring the current position of the vehicle;
Equipped with narrow area communication means for high speed communication in a narrow area,
When the communication means accepts the purchase request in the accepting means, the purchase request including the music purchase request, the current position information measured by the position measuring means, and the route information searched by the route searching means is for the sale. To the server,
The sales server further includes:
A base station database storing location information of base stations connectable to the narrow area communication means of the Internet radio terminal;
A decision means for deciding a base station capable of communication processing associated with music sales with reference to the base station database based on the current location information and the route information included in the purchase request;
The music transmission means transmits the base station position information determined by the determination means to the Internet radio terminal,
5. The narrow-area communication means connects the base station to the Internet at a high speed in a narrow area, and downloads music requested for purchase from the sales server at a high speed. The music distribution system according to any one of the above. An Internet radio terminal that is connected to a radio distribution server that distributes Internet radio and a sales server that manages the sale of music via a network, and that receives and plays music distribution streaming distributed from the radio distribution server. And
In the music distribution streaming, the address information of the server for sale is recorded together with the music data,
Output means for converting the music data being streamed for music distribution into sound and outputting the sound;
Receiving means for receiving a purchase request for music being output from the user;
Communication means for transmitting and receiving data to and from the radio distribution server and the sales server;
The internet radio terminal characterized in that, when the accepting means accepts the purchase request, the communication means makes a purchase request for the music to the sales server corresponding to the address information. The Internet radio terminal according to claim 6, wherein the reception unit is a button unit provided exclusively for receiving a purchase process of music being output from a user. Further, as the purchase request, at least the header portion is set with the address of the server for sale as a transmission destination address, the address of the Internet radio terminal itself is set as the transmission source address, and the identification number of the music to be purchased in the data portion The Internet radio terminal according to claim 6, further comprising: a packet generation unit that generates a purchase request packet including an identification number of the radio distribution server. Furthermore, it comprises determination means for determining whether or not sound quality deterioration occurs in the music to be purchased or the Internet radio being viewed when the Internet radio viewing and music purchase processing are performed simultaneously,
The Internet radio terminal according to claim 6, wherein the accepting unit accepts a purchase request for the music from a user only when it is determined by the determining unit that sound quality degradation does not occur. Furthermore, route search means for searching for a route from the departure point to the destination point,
Position measuring means for acquiring the current position of the vehicle;
With a narrow area communication means to communicate with the base station at high speed in a narrow area,
When the communication means accepts the purchase request in the accepting means, the purchase request including the music purchase request, the current position information measured by the position measuring means, and the route information searched by the route searching means is for the sale. The Internet radio terminal according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the Internet radio terminal is transmitted to a server. The route search means sets the location information of the base station as a waypoint or a destination and performs a route search,
When the vehicle approaches a distance that allows communication between the narrow area communication means and the base station, the communication means requests the music server to purchase music again via the narrow area communication means. The Internet radio terminal according to claim 10, wherein the Internet radio terminal is transmitted. The Internet radio terminal according to claim 6, wherein the communication unit makes a distribution request for the streaming for music distribution to the radio distribution server. A creation device for creating streaming for music distribution provided to a radio distribution server that distributes Internet radio,
Streaming generating means for generating the music distribution streaming including at least the music data, the music information, and the address information of the music sales server;
A creation apparatus comprising: streaming transmission means for transmitting the music distribution streaming to the radio distribution server. An address providing server connected to the creation device via a network,
An address providing server, comprising: an address information database in which address information of the music server for sale is recorded; and address information providing means for providing address information of the server for sale to the creating device. A radio distribution server that distributes Internet radio, an Internet radio terminal that receives and plays music distribution streaming distributed from the radio distribution server, and a sales server that manages music sales are connected via a network. Music distribution method,
A distribution step in which the radio distribution server distributes a music distribution stream in which address information of the server for sales that sells the music is recorded together with music data to the Internet radio terminal;
An output step in which the Internet radio terminal converts the music data being streamed for music distribution into sound and outputs the sound;
A reception step of accepting a purchase request for music being output from the user;
And a communication step of making a request to purchase the music to the sales server corresponding to the address information when the purchase request is received in the receiving step.

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