JP4802348B2 - Client device and client program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a content reproduction system including a server that accumulates content and a client that reproduces content, and more particularly, to a content list distribution method that distributes a content list from a server to a client.

  In recent years, a content reproduction system using a server-client system has been proposed. The following Patent Document 1 describes a content reproduction system that includes a server that stores a plurality of contents and a client that is connected to the server via a LAN (Local Area Network). The client requests the desired content from the server, and in response, the server transmits the requested content to the client. The client plays back the content transmitted from the server. The server has content information (eg, song name, artist name, album name, genre name, etc.) of the stored content, and transmits a content list that is a list of a plurality of content information to the client. The client receives the content list from the server and displays the content information on the display unit. Thereby, the user of the client can select a desired content to be viewed from a plurality of contents.

When the client requests a content list from the server, the user needs to search for and select a desired content information from among many names such as artist name, album name, and genre name. As the number of contents stored in the server increases, the name of content information such as artist name, album name, and genre name also increases. Search for the desired artist name, album name, genre name, etc. that the user wants to watch. There is a problem that the operation to select becomes complicated.

WO03 / 102919

  An object of the present invention is to provide a content reproduction system that does not require a user to search for content information such as a desired artist name and album name when a client requests and acquires a content list from a server.

  A client device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a connection unit that connects to a server that stores a plurality of contents, a filter setting unit that sets a type of filter, and a medium playback unit that plays back data recorded on a recording medium. Information acquisition means for acquiring content information relating to the content recorded on the recording medium, the type of filter set by the filter setting means among the contents stored in the server, and the information acquisition means List request means for requesting the server a content list of the content specified by the content information, and list receiving means for receiving the content list from the server.

  Preferably, the list request unit includes a filter type set by the filter setting unit and a keyword which is content information corresponding to the filter type in the content information acquired by the information acquisition unit. A list construction key is transmitted to the server, and the list receiving means receives a content list of content whose content information corresponding to the type of the filter corresponds to the keyword.

Preferably, the information acquisition unit transmits the data reproduced by the medium reproduction unit to an external content information server, and acquires the content information from the content information server.

  Preferably, the recording medium is a music CD, and the information acquisition means transmits the TOC information of the music CD to the content information server, and records it on the music CD searched by the TOC information from the content information server. Receive information about each song played.

Preferably, the list request unit requests a content list from the server based on content information relating to the content recorded on the plurality of recording media read by the medium reproducing unit.

  Preferably, when a plurality of keywords are included with respect to one filter type of the list construction key, the list receiving unit is a content whose content information corresponding to the filter type corresponds to one of the plurality of keywords. Receive the content list.

  Preferably, when the filter type is the release year of the recording medium, and the keyword for the filter type includes two release years, the list receiving means sets the release year between the two release years as the content information. The content list of the content that is held as is received.

  Preferably, when a plurality of filter types are set by the filter setting unit, the list receiving unit receives a content list of contents corresponding to keywords corresponding to the content information corresponding to the filter types. .

  Preferably, the list construction key is recorded on a recording medium, the medium reproducing means reads the list construction key from the recording medium, and the list requesting means reads the list construction key read by the medium reproducing means. To the server.

  Preferably, the connection means is connectable to the local server and an external content sales server as the server. The client device further includes content receiving means for requesting and receiving content from the local server or the content sales server, and content playback means for playing back the content received by the content receiving means.

  Preferably, the client device displays, from the content list received from the content sales server, an extraction unit that extracts content information not included in the content list received from the local server, and the content information extracted by the extraction unit Display means.

  In another aspect of the present invention, a computer program for causing a computer to execute each unit of the client device and the content list distribution method may be provided.

  The client requests and receives from the server a content list of content specified by the type of filter set by the filter setting means and the content information regarding the content recorded on the recording medium. If the user sets the type of filter in advance, the client can receive a desired content list from the server simply by inserting the recording medium into the client. Therefore, in order to receive the content list from the server, it is not necessary to select desired content information from a vast amount of content information, and the operation can be greatly facilitated.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a content reproduction system 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The content reproduction system 1 includes one or more (one in this example) local server 2, one or more (one in this example) audio client device 3 (hereinafter simply referred to as a client), and an external A content information server 4 is provided. The content reproduction system 1 includes one or a plurality of (one in this example) content sales servers 5 as necessary. The client 3 and the local server 2 are owned by the user, and the client 3 is connected to the local server 2 via, for example, a LAN. On the other hand, the content information server 4 and the content sales server 5 are operated by one or a plurality of traders, and the client 3 is connected to the content information server 4 and the content sales server 5 via, for example, the Internet.

The local server 2 stores a plurality of contents (content is a general term for data such as music, video, and / or still images). The client 3 requests content from the local server 2, and the local server 2 transmits content to the client 3 in response to this request. The client 3 reproduces music data based on the received content. The content sales server 5 stores a plurality of sales contents. The client 3 purchases content from the content sales server 5 and stores the downloaded content in the local server 2. Alternatively, the client 3 reproduces the music data while acquiring the content from the content sales server 5 by streaming.

The client 3 acquires a content list from the local server 2 (or the content sales server 5 and so on), and selects content to be acquired from the content list. An outline of how the client 3 receives the content list is as follows. In the client 3, the type of filter (for example, artist name) is preset by the user. (1) The user inserts the CD of the artist he / she wants to appreciate into the client 3. (2) The client 3 transmits information about the inserted CD (for example, TOC information) to the content information server 4, and content information (song name, album name, artist name) about each song recorded on the CD from the content information server 4 Etc.). (3) Request the content list from the local server 2 using the artist name of each song recorded on the CD as a keyword. In response to the request from the client 3, the local server 2 creates a content list and transmits it to the client 3. The client 3 receives the content list. As described above, when the client 3 acquires the content list, it is only necessary to insert a CD of a desired artist into the client, and an operation for selecting the desired content information from a large amount of content information becomes unnecessary. Details will be described below.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the local server 2. The local server 2 includes a content storage unit 21 such as an HDD (hard disk drive), a server control unit 22, and a communication unit 23 such as a LAN controller. The HDD 21 stores a plurality of contents. The server control unit 22 controls the operation of the entire local server 2 and includes a database management unit 24, a network protocol processing unit 25, and a system operation unit 26. The database management unit 24 manages the HDD 21. Specifically, the database management unit 24 selects desired content in the HDD 21 in response to a request from the client 3. The network protocol processing unit 25 executes protocol processing on input / output data. The system operation unit 26 reads the server program stored in the HDD 21 and executes various processes of the local server 2 described later. Specifically, the system operation unit 26 creates a content list in response to a request from the client 3 and transmits it to the client 3. The communication unit 23 transmits and receives signals (content data, commands, etc.) between the local server 2 and the LAN.

The HDD 21 stores a local list LL1 shown in Table 1.

The local list LL1 is a list including content information of all the contents stored in the HDD 21. That is, the local list LL1 includes content information I11 to I1n related to all the content data M11 to M1n stored in the HDD 21 by the local server 2. Table 2 shows details of each content information I1n.

  The content information I1n typically includes a file name, content name (song name), artist name, album name, genre name, release year (release year), content length (time), A file format, a content ID, and server specifying information are included. In the file name, the full path name of the HDD 21 in which the content is stored is recorded. The server specifying information includes a server address and a port number for specifying the location of the local server 2. The server address is an IP (Internet Protocol) address or a MAC address of the server SV.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the client 3. The client 3 includes a client control unit 31, a disk playback unit 32 that plays back data such as content data and TOC information recorded on a recording medium such as a CD, a memory 33, and a compressed digital content that is decoded and uncompressed digitally. An audio processing unit 34 that generates content, a D / A converter (DAC) 35 that converts digital content into analog content, a communication unit 36 that communicates with the outside via a LAN or the Internet, and a key that receives instructions from the user And an input unit 37 such as a remote controller and a display unit 38 such as an LCD for displaying content information.

The client control unit 31 controls the operation of the entire client 3 and includes a network protocol processing unit 39 and a system operation unit 30. The network protocol processing unit 39 performs protocol processing on input / output data. The system operation unit 30 executes various processes of the client 3 to be described later based on the client program stored in the memory 33. Specifically, the system operation unit 30 generates a list request command including a list construction key shown in Table 3 below and transmits it to the local server 2.

  The list construction key is information for the local server 2 (or the content sales server 5, the same below) to create a content list. The list construction key includes a filter type and a keyword. The type of filter is used to designate which type in the local list LL1 the local server 2 is to create the content list. If the filter type is song name, genre name, artist name, album name, file name, or release year, the song name, genre name, artist name, album name, file name, or release year are keywords from the local list LL1. Search for content that matches and create a content list.

The filter table shown in Table 4 below is stored in the memory 33. The filter table is a table that sets the type of the filter in accordance with a user instruction. The filter type set in the filter table becomes the filter type of the list construction key. The content information corresponding to the type of filter set in the filter table in the content information of the music recorded on the CD becomes the keyword of the list construction key.

  Specifically, the filter table includes items of artist name, album name, genre name, and release year as filter types. If the flag corresponding to these is “1”, it is set as a filter type, and if it is “0”, it is not set as a filter type. These are set by the user's operation of the input unit 37. In the case of Table 4, the artist name is set as the filter type. In this case, when the TOC of the CD is read out by the disc playback unit 32, the client control unit 31 requests the content list from the local server 2 using the artist name of the song recorded on the CD as a keyword. Although details will be described later, a plurality of filter types can be set.

The memory 33 stores a disk information table shown in Table 5 below.

The disc information table is a table for temporarily storing content information related to the music recorded on the CD inserted in the disc playback unit 32. The disc information table includes items of song name, album name, artist name, genre name, and release year. The disc information table can store content information of songs recorded on a plurality of CDs. In the case of Table 5, the content information of three CDs is stored. Numbers 1 to 3 correspond to the first CD, numbers 4 to 6 correspond to the second, and numbers 7 to 9 correspond to the third CD. Yes. When the disc playback unit 32 is a changer type, content information relating to all CDs mounted on a plurality of trays is stored in the disc information table. When the disc playback unit 32 is a single type, the content information of all CDs loaded in the disc playback unit 32 before the CD insertion end instruction is input by the user when the multiple CD mode is set. Stored in the disk information table. The multiple CD mode is a mode in which content information of a plurality of CDs is used as a keyword for a list construction key. In the case of Table 5, when the artist name is set as the filter type as shown in Table 4, the client 3 creates the list construction key shown in Table 3 and transmits it to the local server 2.

  The content information server (for example, CD database, CDDB) 4 is based on the TOC information (the number of songs recorded on the CD and the total playback time) transmitted from the client 3, and the content information of each song recorded on the CD. Is searched from its own database and transmitted to the client 3. Further, the content information server 4 may search the content information based on the waveform data of the music recorded on the CD and transmit it to the client 3.

  The configuration of the content sales server 5 is substantially the same as the configuration of the local server 2 in FIG. The HDD 21 of the content sales server 5 stores two types of sales content data: download content data and streaming content data. For this reason, the HDD 21 stores a download content list and a streaming content list instead of the local list LL1. Further, the server control unit 22 of the content sales server 5 executes various processes necessary for content purchase such as content purchase processing, user authentication processing, and billing processing.

  An operation of the client 3 acquiring a content list from the local server 2 in the content reproduction system 1 having the above configuration will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, when the client control unit 31 determines that a CD has been inserted into the disc playback unit 32 (single type) (S401: YES), the client 3 connects to the content information server 4 (S402). . The disc playback unit 32 reads the TOC information from the CD and transmits it to the client control unit 31. The client control unit 31 transmits TOC information to the content information server 4 via the communication unit 36 (S403), and receives content information regarding each song of the CD from the content information server 4 (S404). The client control unit 31 registers the received content information in the disc information table of Table 5 (S405).

  Next, the client control unit 31 determines whether or not the multiple CD mode is set based on, for example, the setting status of the flag in the memory 33 (S406). If the multiple CD mode is not set (S406: NO), the process proceeds to list construction key creation processing (S409). On the other hand, if the multiple CD mode is set (S406: YES), the client control unit 31 determines whether or not a CD insertion end instruction is input by the user (S407), and if not input (S407: NO). It is determined whether another CD different from S401 has been inserted into the disc playback unit 32 (different TOC information has been read) (S408). The processes in S407 and S408 are repeated until a CD insertion end instruction is input or another CD is inserted. When the CD is inserted into the disc playback unit 32 (S408: YES), the process returns to S402, and the client control unit 31 receives the content information of the inserted CD from the content information server 4 and adds it to the disc information table. . When a CD insertion end instruction is input (S407: YES), the process proceeds to list construction key creation processing (S409).

  The client control unit 31 creates a list construction key based on the content information stored in the disc information table and the type of filter set in the filter table (S409). Details of this operation will be described with reference to FIG. The client control unit 31 checks the filter type (in this example, the artist name) set in the filter table of Table 4, and sets the filter type as the filter type of the list construction key (S501). Next, the index i indicating the content number in the disc information table is set to 1 (S502). The client control unit 31 determines whether or not content information (artist name) corresponding to the filter type already exists in the keyword of the list construction key for the i-th content in the disc information table (S503). If not (S503: NO), the artist name of the i-th content is added to the keyword of the list construction key (S504). The client control unit 31 increments i (S505), determines whether i is larger than the number of songs registered in the disk information table (S506), and if smaller (S506: NO), the disk information is still Since all the contents of the table have not been checked, the process returns to S503 and the processes of S503 to S506 are repeated. If the artist name already exists in the keyword of the list construction key in S503, the process skips S504 and proceeds to S505. If it is determined in step S506 that i is larger than the number of songs registered in the disc information table, the list construction key creation process is terminated. As a result, the list construction key shown in Table 3 is created by the filter table of Table 4 and the disk information table of Table 5. When a plurality of filter types are set in the filter table, the process of FIG. 5 is executed for each filter type.

  Returning to FIG. 4, the client control unit 31 transmits a list request command including the created list construction key to the local server 2 (S410). The local server 2 receives the list request command (S451), and creates a content list from the local list LL1 based on the list construction key (S452). Details are shown in FIG. The server control unit 22 of the local server 2 initializes an index w indicating the number of content information in the local list LL1 to 1 (S601). The server control unit 22 compares the content information indicated by w with the keyword of the list construction key, and determines whether they match (S602). In this example, it is determined whether or not the artist name of the content information indicated by w is “yyy”, “www” or “xxx” indicated in the list construction key. If they match, the server control unit 22 adds the file name, song name, artist name, album name, genre name, release year, server specific information, etc. to the content list (S603), and then increments w (S604). . On the other hand, if they do not match (S602: NO), the server control unit 22 skips S603 and increments w (S604). Subsequently, the server control unit 22 determines whether or not the number of content information indicated by w is equal to or less than the total content number n (S605). If the number is equal to or less (S605: YES), the server control unit 22 returns to S602, If larger (S605: NO), the creation of the content list is completed. Through the above processing, the server control unit 22 picks up the content information specified by the list construction key from the local list LL1, and creates a content list. The data structure of the content list is the same as that of the local list LL1 in Tables 1 and 2.

  Returning to FIG. 4, the local server 2 transmits the created content list to the client 3 (S453). The client 3 receives the content list and displays it on the display unit 38 (S411). At this time, the client 3 may display the content list received from the local server 2 in combination with the content information of the CD currently inserted in the disc playback unit 32, or may display them independently. The client 3 sequentially requests the content included in the received content list from the local server 2 (S412), and the local server 2 transmits the requested content to the client 3 (S454). The client 3 receives and reproduces the content (S412). As described above, the client 3 can automatically acquire the content list of the desired content based on the type of filter set in advance by the user and the CD inserted in the disc playback unit 32, and reproduce the content. it can.

Next, a case where a plurality of keywords exist for one filter type of the list construction key and / or a case where a plurality of filter types are set will be described with reference to Table 6 below.

  When the filter type is artist name, album name, or genre name, when a plurality of keywords corresponding to one filter type are included, the content list created by the list construction key includes content information corresponding to the filter type. The content information of content corresponding to any of a plurality of keywords is included. For example, when the type of filter is a genre name and the keyword is J-POP or ROCK, the content list includes content whose genre name is J-POP or ROCK.

In the case where the filter type is the release year, when the list construction key includes two keywords, the content list includes content information having a release year between the two release years. The release year between two release years includes the two release years themselves. For example, when the filter type is the release year and the keywords are 1999 and 2003, the content list includes contents whose release year is any one of 1999 to 2003 (five years). When three or more sales years are included in the keyword of the list construction key, the content list includes, for example, content having any one of the three sales years as content information.

When a plurality of filter types are set (that is, a plurality of flags are set to 1 in the filter table shown in Table 4), each content information corresponding to each filter type is stored in the content list. The content information of the content corresponding to the corresponding keyword is included. For example, if one filter type is an artist name and its keyword is yyy, another filter type is a genre name and the keyword is J-POP, the artist name is yyy and the genre name is J-POP. Content information of a certain content is included in the content list. When one filter type is an artist name and its keyword is yyy, and another filter type is the release year and the keyword is 1999 and 2003, the artist name is yyy and the release year is 1999- Content information of the content 2003 is included in the content list.

  Next, the operation in which the client 3 receives the sales content list from the content sales server 5 will be described with reference to FIG. The same processes as those for receiving the content list from the local server 2 in FIG. The processing related to a plurality of CDs is omitted for the sake of simplicity.

  Similarly to FIG. 4, the client control unit 31 creates a list construction key based on the type of filter set in the filter table and the content information of the music recorded on the CD, and a list request including the list construction key The command is transmitted to the content sales server 5. The client 3 receives a content list for sale from the content sales server 5 (S411). The sales content list includes at least one of a download content list and a streaming content list. The client control unit 31 displays the received sales content list on the display unit 38 (S701). At the same time, as shown in FIG. 4, the client control unit 31 also receives the content list from the local server 2 and displays the received content list on the display unit 38. At this time, the content list for sale received from the content sales server 5 and the content list received from the local server 2 may be displayed independently or may be combined and displayed as one list. Preferably, when displaying the sales content list, the content information included in the content list received from the local server 2 is excluded from the content information included in the sales content list. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the content already stored in the local server 2 from being erroneously purchased from the content sales server 5. More specifically, the client control unit 31 sequentially checks the content information included in the sales content list to see whether there is matching content information in the content list received from the local server 2. If not, the content information is extracted and displayed on the display unit 38.

  When the content to be purchased is selected from the content displayed on the display unit 38, the client control unit 31 transmits a content purchase command to the content sales server 5 (S702). After executing the predetermined content purchase processing, the content sales server 5 transmits the selected content to the client 3 (download distribution or streaming distribution according to the selected content). The client 3 performs streaming playback while receiving the content, or downloads the content and stores it in the local server 2 (S702). As described above, a content list of content that can be purchased from the content sales server 5 and has not yet been stored in the local server 2 is displayed simply by inserting a CD relating to a desired song into the disc playback unit 32. Can do.

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In this example, a list construction key is recorded on the CD. For example, this is achieved by recording the list construction key created in S409 of FIG. 4 as character data on a writable recording medium such as a CD-R that can be executed by the disc reproducing unit 32. It is possible to create a CD on which various list construction keys are recorded. Further, a vendor operating the content sales server may distribute such a CD. When a CD is inserted into the disc playback unit 32 (S401), the client control unit 31 reads a list construction key from the CD (S801). A list construction key may be read from a plurality of CDs and synthesized to create a new list construction key. The subsequent processing is the same as in FIG. In this way, by reading the list construction key from the CD, the client 3 does not need to connect to the content information server 4 and can quickly execute the content list acquisition process.

  As mentioned above, although preferable embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to these embodiment. The recording medium is not limited to a CD, and any recording medium such as a DVD, MD, or memory card can be adopted. The disc reproducing unit 32 may employ any reproducing means corresponding to the recording medium. When the disc playback unit 32 is a changer type, the processing of S406 to S408 in FIG. 4 is not necessary, and the user may be asked whether or not to add each CD to the keyword of the list construction key. If the content list received from the local server 3 includes the same song as the CD inserted in the disc playback unit 32, the song is recorded on the CD rather than receiving the content from the local server 2. You may make it play a preferentially music. The disc playback unit 32 may not be provided in the client 3 and may be an independent disc playback device having a network function. The program may be provided in the form of a computer program for operating the local server and the client or a recording medium recording the computer program.

  The present invention can be suitably applied to a content reproduction system in which a server transmits content in response to a content request from an audio client and the audio client reproduces the content.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the content reproduction system 1 by preferable embodiment of this invention. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a local server 2. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an audio client device 3. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a content list acquisition process from a local server 2. It is a flowchart explaining list construction key creation processing. It is a flowchart explaining a content list creation process. It is a flowchart explaining the content list acquisition process for sales from a content sales server. It is a flowchart which shows the content list acquisition process by another preferable embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 content playback system 2 local server 3 client device

Claims (3)

A connection means for connecting to a server storing a plurality of contents;
Filter setting means for presetting the type of filter in response to a user operation ;
An insertion section into which the recording medium is inserted;
TOC acquisition means for acquiring TOC information from a recording medium when receiving a content list from the server ;
Content information acquisition means for transmitting the acquired TOC information to a content information database and acquiring content information relating to the content recorded on the recording medium from the content information database ;
Wherein the type of filter that is set in advance by the filter setting unit, among the content information content information about the content recorded on the inserted recording medium to the insertion portion acquired by the acquiring means, corresponding to the type of the filter the list construction key includes a keyword of content information transmitted to the server, a list request means for requesting the content list to the server,
A client device comprising: a list receiving unit configured to receive the content list of content corresponding to the keyword from the server. A mode determining means for determining whether or not the multiple recording medium mode is set by a user operation;
When it is determined that the multiple recording medium mode is set, the TOC is recorded on one or more recording media inserted into the insertion unit until a recording medium insertion end instruction is input by a user operation. The acquisition unit acquires TOC information from a recording medium, the content information acquisition unit transmits the TOC information to a content information database, acquires content information about the content recorded on the recording medium from the content information database,
The list requesting unit is inserted into the insertion unit until the type of filter preset by the filter setting unit and the content information acquisition unit and a recording medium insertion end instruction is input. Alternatively, a list construction key including a keyword, which is content information corresponding to the type of filter, among content information related to content recorded on a plurality of recording media is transmitted to the server, and a content list is requested from the server. The client device according to claim 1 . To execute respective means of the client apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 in a computer, the client program.

Images