U.S. patent application number 11/272334 was filed with the patent office on 2006-04-20 for data sending/receiving method and apparatus, data receiving apparatus and data sending apparatus.
This patent application is currently assigned to Sony Corporation. Invention is credited to Kissei Matsumoto.
Application Number | 20060085511 11/272334 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 17917202 |
Filed Date | 2006-04-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060085511 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Matsumoto; Kissei |
April 20, 2006 |
Data sending/receiving method and apparatus, data receiving
apparatus and data sending apparatus
Abstract
A sending receiving method for data, such as musical data, in
which plural data stored in a first storage unit are retrieved
based on the request information sent from a host side device. The
retrieved data is sent to a terminal side device. The sent data is
checked to see as to whether or not the sent data is data newly
stored in the first storage unit. If the results of check indicate
that the sent data is data newly stored in the first storage unit,
the sent data is stored in a second storage unit of the terminal
side device.
Inventors: |
Matsumoto; Kissei;
(Kanagawa, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Jay H. Maioli;Cooper & Dunham
1185 Avenue of the Americas
New York
NY
10036
US
|
Assignee: |
Sony Corporation
|
Family ID: |
17917202 |
Appl. No.: |
11/272334 |
Filed: |
November 10, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09181547 |
Oct 29, 1998 |
|
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|
11272334 |
Nov 10, 2005 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
709/206 ;
709/212 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04H 60/47 20130101;
G06Q 20/102 20130101; H04H 60/22 20130101; H04M 11/08 20130101;
H04N 7/17318 20130101; H04H 60/74 20130101; H04H 60/66 20130101;
H04H 60/25 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/206 ;
709/212 |
International
Class: |
G06F 15/16 20060101
G06F015/16; G06F 15/167 20060101 G06F015/167 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 5, 1997 |
JP |
P09-303126 |
Claims
1-49. (canceled)
50. A data receiving apparatus comprising: a storage unit
configured to store a plurality of data; a communicator configured
to communicate with an external apparatus; and a controller
configured to control said storage unit to store only data that is
not stored in said storage unit among data transmitted from said
external apparatus to said storage unit by comparing data
transmitted from said external apparatus with data stored in said
storage unit.
51. The data receiving apparatus according to claim 50, wherein
said storage unit further stores index information of data stored
in said storage unit.
52. The data receiving apparatus according to claim 51, wherein
said controller compares data stored in said storage unit and data
transmitted from said external apparatus by referring to said index
information.
53. The data receiving apparatus according to claim 50, further
comprising a reproducer configured to reproduce said data stored in
said storage unit.
54. The data receiving apparatus according to claim 53, wherein
said data receiving apparatus is arranged in a portable
housing.
55. The data receiving apparatus according to claim 50, wherein
said controller decides an allowance of reproducing data received
from said external apparatus based on a user's payment information
corresponding to data transmitted from said external apparatus.
56. A data sending apparatus comprising: a storage unit configured
to store a plurality of data; a communicator configured to
communicate with an external apparatus; a controller configured to
control said communicator to transmit data not stored in said
external apparatus by checking information of data stored in said
external apparatus and received from said external apparatus
through said communicator.
57. The data sending apparatus according to claim 56, wherein said
information of data received from said external apparatus includes
index information of data stored in said external apparatus.
58. The data sending apparatus according to claim 57, wherein said
controller checks data stored in said external apparatus by
referring to said index information received from said external
apparatus.
59. The data sending apparatus according to claim 56, wherein said
controller imposes a fee based on the data transmitted to said
external apparatus.
60. A data communication comprising: a first storage unit
configured to store a plurality of data; a second storage unit
configured to store a plurality of data; a communicator configured
to communicate between said first storage unit and said second
storage unit; and a controller configured to control said
communicator to transmit data not stored in said second storage
unit among data stored in said first storage unit by comparing data
stored in said first storage unit and data stored in said second
storage unit.
61. The data receiving apparatus according to claim 60, wherein
said second storage unit further stores index information of data
stored in said first storage unit.
62. The data receiving apparatus according to claim 61, wherein
said controller compares data stored in said first storage unit and
data transmitted from said external apparatus by referring to said
index information.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a data sending/receiving method
and apparatus, a data receiving apparatus and a data sending
apparatus. More particularly, it relates to a data
sending/receiving method and apparatus configured for sending and
receiving data, a data receiving apparatus and a data sending
apparatus.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] With improvement in the technique of compressing video
signals or speech signals or in the digital signal processing
technique in the field of broadcasting or communication, it has
become possible to realize services of distributing digital data,
such as video on demand (VOD) or music on demand (MOD).
[0005] Up to now, as an example of service configurations of
furnishing digital data, a so-called push type service is being
offered, in which the receiving side specifies a particular genre
to the host side over the Internet and in which the host side
retrieves data falling under the genre from a data base to
sequentially transfer the retrieved data in succession to the
receiving side.
[0006] However, in the conventional data transmission/reception
system, there lacks up to now a system of automatically downloading
data of the new information, put on sale or publicized only of
late, on the reception side. For example, in the conventional MOD
system, there lacks a system of downloading data on new musical
numbers on the reception side. In the conventional MOD system,
there lacks a system for permitting the reception side to switch
between the low quality reproduction and the high quality
reproduction of data on new musical numbers. In addition, the
conventional MOD system is no other than a system in which a user
pays fee unexceptionally for data acquisition. On the contrary,
there has not been known to data a system in which a portion of a
new musical number is heard on trial and a user pays only the fee
for the number which has suited to his or her liking in order to
acquire the data for the new musical number in its entirety.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a data sending/receiving apparatus which resolves the
above-described problems.
[0008] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
data sending/receiving method which resolves the above-described
problems.
[0009] It is still another object of the present invention to
provide a data reception apparatus which resolves the
above-described problems.
[0010] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide
a data sending apparatus which resolves the above-described
problems.
[0011] According to the present invention there is provided a data
sending receiving apparatus including a first storage unit holding
plural data on memory, a retrieval unit for retrieving the data
stored in the first storage unit, a first sending receiving unit
for sending data retrieved by the retrieval unit, and a second
sending receiving unit for receiving the data sent from the first
sending receiving unit and for sending the request information from
the user. t The first sending receiving unit receives the request
information sent from a user to supply the received request
information to the retrieval unit. The second sending receiving
unit has a decision unit for checking whether or not data sent from
the first sending receiving unit is data newly stored in the first
storage unit and a second storage unit for storing data sent from
the first sending receiving unit if the results of check by the
check unit indicates that the data is data stored in the first
storage unit.
[0012] According to the present invention there is also provided a
data receiving apparatus including a sending receiving unit for
receiving data sent from a host side device and for sending the
request information from the user to the host side device, a
storage unit for storing received data sent by the sending
receiving unit and a controller for checking whether or not the
sent data is data newly stored in the host side device, the
controller causing the sent data to be stored in the storage unit
if the results of check indicate that the sent data is data newly
stored in the host side device.
[0013] According to the present invention there is also provided a
data sending receiving method including the steps of retrieving
plural data stored in a first storage unit based on the request
information from a user sent to a host side device, sending the
retrieved data to a terminal side device, checking whether or not
the sent data is data newly stored in the first storage unit and
storing the sent data in a second storage unit of the terminal side
device if the results of discrimination indicate that the sent data
is data newly stored in the first storage unit.
[0014] According to the present invention there is additionally
provided a data sending apparatus including a storage unit having
plural data stored therein, a retrieval unit for retrieving data
stored in the storage unit based on the request information from
the user containing data specifying the user's intention to make
payments sent from a terminal side device and a sending receiving
unit for sending the data retrieved by the retrieval unit. The
sending receiving unit also receives the request information sent
from the user to send the received information to the retrieval
unit. The sending receiving unit switches the sending mode to the
terminal side device of data retrieved by the retrieval unit based
on data specifying the user's intention to make payments for the
request information from the user.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 shows an entire structure of a data sending/receiving
system embodying the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view for illustrating the loading of
a portable terminal device on a data relaying device.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an illustrative circuit
structure of a data sending/receiving system.
[0018] FIG. 4 shows an example of a format of data sent from a data
sending apparatus to a data receiving apparatus.
[0019] FIG. 5 is a flowchart for illustrating the processing by a
data sending apparatus, a data relaying device and a portable
terminal device in case the designation of new musical number data
is contained in the data designation information of the request
information sent from the portable terminal device to the data
sending apparatus and for illustrating an example of switching the
sound quality of the new musical number data transferred by the
data sending apparatus to the data receiving apparatus.
[0020] FIG. 6 is a flowchart for illustrating the processing
contents of the data sending apparatus, data relaying apparatus and
the portable terminal device in case the data sending apparatus
executes a push type service.
[0021] FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing an example of setting
an accounting flag for the musical data stored in a hard disc of a
hard disc drive.
[0022] FIG. 8 is a perspective view for illustrating the case of
reproducing new musical number data recorded on the hard disc in
the portable terminal device.
[0023] FIG. 10 is a perspective view for illustrating the portable
terminal device accessing the data sending apparatus without
employing the data relaying device.
[0024] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an alternative
structure of the data relaying apparatus.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] Referring to the drawings, preferred embodiments of a data
sending receiving apparatus according to the present invention will
be explained in detail.
[0026] In the data sending/receiving apparatus, explained in the
following embodiment, it is assumed that music data is sent from a
data sending apparatus as a host side device to a data receiving
apparatus as a terminal side device.
[0027] A data sending receiving system 1 of the present invention,
shown n FIG. 1, is a system for so-called music-on-demand and a
data sending device 2 as a terminal device on the server side is
connected over a communication network 3 to a data receiving device
4. The data receiving device 4 is made up of a data relaying device
5 and a portable terminal device 6, as a user side terminal device,
detachably connected to the data relaying device 5.
[0028] Specifically, each lateral surface of a casing of the
portable terminal device 6 is loaded on a mounting portion 7 formed
as a recess in a casing of the data relaying device 5 for
electrically and mechanically interconnecting the data relaying
device 5 and the portable terminal device 6. That is, with the data
sending receiving system 1, the data sending device 2 is connected
over the communication network 3 to the data relaying device 5, and
the data relaying device 5 is connected to the portable terminal
device 6 for interconnecting the data sending device 2 and the
portable terminal device 6.
[0029] The data sending device 2 is mounted at, for example, a data
management center on the side of the server and exchanges data
concerning the accounting for performing preset accounting for the
user. The data relaying device 5 relays the request information
from the portable terminal device 6, as later explained, to send
the relayed information to the data sending device 2, while
relaying the data sent from the data sending device 2 to send the
relayed data to the portable terminal device 6. The data relaying
device 5 is mounted on kiosk shop at a railway station, a
convenience store, a public telephone box or at a home. The
portable terminal device 6 is owned by each user and is a portable
device convenient for transportation.
[0030] Although only one data relaying device 5 and one portable
terminal device 6 are shown in FIG. 6 for convenience in
illustration, a plurality of data relaying devices 5 and a
plurality of portable terminal devices 6 are connected over the
communication network 3 to the server side data sending device
2.
[0031] For the communication network 3 and an accounting
communication network 10, ISDN or a telephone network is used.
Although the present embodiment illustrates an embodiment in which
the communication network 3 and the data sending device 2 are
connected by wired connection, such as with a communication cable
or an optical fiber, the wired connection may be replaced by radio
or wireless connection. In addition, although the communication
network 3 and the data relaying device 5 are similarly connected by
wired connection, such as with a communication cable or an optical
fiber, wireless connection, such as over a radio route, may also be
used. Also, in the data sending receiving system 1, data
transmission from the data sending device 2 to the data receiving
device 4 may be via a communication medium, employing a
broadcasting satellite, without employing the communication network
3 by a wired connection. If the broadcasting satellite is used, the
communication network 3 is used for sending the request
information, as later explained, from the data receiving device 4
to the data sending device 2.
[0032] The server side data sending device 2 receives the request
information, as later explained, sent from the data relaying device
5 over the communication network 3, to retrieve the relevant data
based on the received request information. In addition, the data
sending device 2 transfers the retrieved data in a preset system
over the communication network 3 to the data relaying device 5
and/or to the portable terminal device 6.
[0033] Referring to FIG. 3, this data sending device 2 includes an
interfacing unit 11 connected over the communication network 3 to
the data relaying device 5 for data sending and reception, a
large-capacity hard disc array 12, having plural data items, such
as music numbers, stored therein, and a data retrieving processing
unit 13 for retrieving relevant data from this hard disc array 12.
The data sending device 2 also includes an accounting processing
unit 14 for accessing the accounting communication network 10 to
perform preset accounting for the chargeable user and a controller
15 for controlling the data sending device 2 in its entirety.
[0034] The interfacing unit 11 is connected over the communication
network 3 to the data relaying device 5 to receive the request
information sent from the portable terminal device 6, such as the
data designation information or the user ID information. The
interfacing unit 11 sends data, such as music data, outputted by
the data retrieving processing unit 13, as later explained, via the
communication network 3 to the data relaying device 5. The
above-mentioned operations of the interfacing unit 11 are executed
on the bases of the control signals sent from the controller
15.
[0035] In the hard disc array 12, there are stored data, such as
musical data of various genres, guide for music, or other audio
data as compressed data. In the hard disc array 12, there are
stored musical data concerning the new musical numbers, referred to
herein as new musical number data, along with an appended
identifier, referred to herein as a new musical data identifier.
The new musical number data means musical data within a preset time
period as from the date on which it is put on sale only of late,
such as within one month. The specified definition of the new
musical number data is appropriately determined or modified on the
host side.
[0036] The data retrieving processing unit 13 receives the request
information from the portable terminal device 6, received by the
interfacing unit 11, over the controller 15, and retrieves relevant
data from the numerous data items, such as musical numbers, stored
in the hard disc array 12, based on this request information. The
data retrieving processing unit 13 has a memory for transient data
storage and reads out the retrieved data from the hard disc array
12 for transient storage therein. The data retrieving processing
unit 13 also sends the data stored in the memory to the interfacing
unit 11.
[0037] The data retrieving processing unit 13 also can read out
only new musical number data from the hard disc array 12 by
retrieving the new musical number identifier. The above-described
operation of the data retrieving processing unit 13 is performed on
the basis of control signals from the controller 15.
[0038] The accounting processing unit 14 receives the request
information from the portable terminal device 6, received by the
interfacing unit 11, via the controller 15, and specifies the
chargeable users based on the received request information, while
executing preset accounting for the chargeable user.
[0039] The controller 15 has a sending control program for sending
musical data relevant to the received request information to the
data relaying device 5 on the basis of the request information sent
from the portable terminal device 6 via the data relaying device 5
and the communication network 3. The controller 15 controls the
interfacing unit 11, hard disc array 12, data retrieving processing
unit 13 and the accounting processing unit 14 based on this sending
control program.
[0040] Specifically, the controller 15 controls the interfacing
unit 11 so that the request information sent from the portable
terminal device 6 via the data relaying device 5 and the
communication network 3 is received and sent to the controller 15.
The controller 15 transiently stores the request information
supplied form the interfacing unit 111 to send this request
information to the data retrieving processing unit 13 and to the
accounting processing unit 14.
[0041] The controller 15 executes the above-described retrieval
based on the data designation information of the received request
information to read out the retrieved data from the hard disc array
12 to store the data transiently in the memory of the data
retrieving processing unit 13.
[0042] The controller 15 refers to the user ID information of the
received request information to control the data retrieving
processing unit 13 and the interfacing unit 11 so that the data
transiently stored in the memory of the data retrieving processing
unit 13 is sent to the interfacing unit 11 and data read out from
the memory is sent to the data relaying device 5 to which is
connected the portable terminal device 6. In this manner, musical
data is sent from the data sending device 2 to the portable
terminal device 6 in the present data sending receiving system
1.
[0043] In the sending control program of the controller 15 is
assembled a program for offering a so-called push type service as
its subroutine. The program for offering this push type service
includes a genre-based sending program for sequentially sending
musical data in the relevant genre to the portable terminal device
6 based on the genre designating information used for designating
the specified genre sent from the portable terminal device 6.
[0044] In the program for offering the push type services, there is
assembled the new musical number data sending program for
sequentially sending only the new musical number data to the
portable terminal device 6 based on the new musical number request
information from the portable terminal device 6 commanding transfer
only of new musical number data. The control operations performed
by the controller 15 in offering these push type services will be
explained in detail subsequently.
[0045] The data sending receiving system 1 of the present
embodiment uses the packet exchanging system and sends data on the
data packet basis. The format of each data packet sent from the
data sending device 2 to the data receiving device 4 is such a
format in which music data as main data portion is compressed with
modified DCT as disclosed for example in Japanese Laying-Open
Patent H-3-139923 or Japanese Laying-Open Patent H-3-139922 and in
which a new music number flag or number ID is appended to the
compressed data, as shown in FIG. 4.
[0046] The new musical number flag is a flag specifying whether or
not the music data as compressed data is the new musical number,
and is appended as a header for each data packet. The number ID
data includes, for example, music genre, name of the performing
artist or the title of the musical number. By using the data format
as shown in FIG. 4, there is caused no inconvenience in the data
sending receiving system 1 even in case the data is sent from the
data sending device 2 to the data receiving device 4 over the
broadcasting satellite or data is sent in accordance with the push
system.
[0047] Referring to FIG. 3, the data relaying device 5 includes an
interfacing unit 21, a hard disc array (HDD) 22, a read-only memory
(ROM) 23, a random-access memory (RAM) 24, an operating input unit
25, a display unit 26, an interfacing (I/F) unit 27, a charging
unit 28 and a controller 29 comprised of a micro-computer. These
elements are interconnected over a bus 30.
[0048] The interfacing unit 21 is connected via communication
network 3 to the data sending device 2 to receive data sent from
the data sending device 2. The received data is stored transiently
in the RAM 24. In the data relaying device 5, a terminal 21a
provided on the top of a casing serves as input/output terminals of
the interfacing unit 21 serves as an input/output terminal of the
interfacing unit 21.
[0049] The hard disc drive 22 includes a hard disc, not shown, on
which received data transiently stored in the RAM 24 is recorded
under control by the controller 29.
[0050] In the ROM 23 is stored the relay control program for
controlling the operation of the data relaying device 5. In the
data relaying device 5, the controller 29 reads out the relay
control program stored in the ROM 23 to control the constituent
elements of the data relaying device 5.
[0051] The RAM 24 transiently stores the data sent from the data
sending device 2 over the communication network 3. The RAM 24
transiently stores the request information sent from the portable
terminal device 6 over the I/F 27.
[0052] An actuating input unit 25 sends an actuation input signal
to the controller 29 and has a plurality of actuating buttons 25a,
as shown in FIG. 2.
[0053] A display unit 26 has a liquid crystal display device and is
provided on the top of the casing, as shown in FIG. 2. This display
unit 26 displays the actuating input signal from the actuating
buttons 25a, data reception states from the data sending device 2
or the request information from the portable terminal device 6.
[0054] The I/F 27 is an input output interface for the portable
terminal device 6 and is connected to the I/F 31 of the portable
terminal device 6 to receive the request information from the
portable terminal device 6 via this I/F 27. The I/F 27 sends
musical data sent from the data sending device 2 via I/F 31 to the
portable terminal device 6. The I/F 27 of the data relaying device
5 and the I/F 31 of the portable terminal device 6 provide for
electrical connection between the data relaying device 5 and the
portable terminal device 6 via terminal 27a on the side of the data
relaying device 5 and via terminal 31a of the portable terminal
device 6 connected to the I/F 27 and I/F 31, respectively, as shown
in FIGS. 2 and 3.
[0055] The charging unit 28 is used for charging a battery 39 of
the portable terminal device 6. Specifically, with the data
relaying device 5 being electrically connected to the portable
terminal device 6, that is with the portable terminal device 6
being loaded in position on the data relaying device 5, an output
terminal 28a of the charging unit 28 is contacted with an input
terminal 39a of the battery 39, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, to
supply the current from the charging unit 28 to the battery 39
under control by the controller 29.
[0056] The controller 29 reads out and executes the relay control
program stored in the RAM 23 to control the respective blocks as
described above.
[0057] Referring to FIG. 3, the portable terminal device 6 includes
an interface (I/F) 31, a hard disc drive (HDD) 32, a read-only
memory (ROM) 33, a random access memory (RAM) 34, an actuating
input unit 35, a display unit 36, an interface (I/F) 37, a data
expanding unit 38, a battery 39, a D/A controller 41 and a
controller 42 made up of a micro-computer. These component parts
are interconnected over a bus 40.
[0058] The I/f 31 is an input/output interface for the data
relaying device 5 and is connected to the I/F 27 of the data
relaying device 5 in order to output the request information to the
data relaying device 5. The I/F 31 receives data, such as music,
from the data sending device 2, sent from the data relaying device
5 over the I/F 27. The received music data is transiently stored in
the RAM 34.
[0059] The hard disc drive 32 includes a hard disc, not shown. The
music data from the data sending device 2, transiently stored in
the RAM 34, is recorded in this hard disc.
[0060] In the ROM 33 is stored the control program for controlling
the operation of the portable terminal device 6. The controller 42
of the portable terminal device 6 reads out the control program
stored in the ROM 33 to control the constituent elements of the
portable terminal device 6.
[0061] The RAM 34 transiently stores data sent from the data
relaying device 5 or the various data sent from the controller
42.
[0062] The actuating input unit 35 sends actuating input signals to
the controller 42 and, as shown in FIGS. 1 an 2, is provided with
various actuating buttons 35a to 35d. Specifically, the actuating
buttons 35a and 35b are selection keys for moving a cursor
displayed on the display unit 36 or selecting various functions,
while the actuating key 35c is a decision key for making decisions
as to various functions. The actuating button 35d, made up of
plural actuating keys, are made up of various actuating keys for
executing basic operations, such as playback, stop, pause, cue or
review, for reproducing data recorded on the hard disc of the hard
disc array 32. In the portable terminal device 6, these actuating
buttons are pushed to permit actuating input signals corresponding
to the thrusting to be sent over the bus 40 to the controller
42.
[0063] The display unit 36 has a liquid crystal display device and
is provided on the upper part of the major surface of the casing,
as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. This display unit 36 is responsive to an
actuating input signal from the actuating input unit 25 derived
from the pushing actuation of the actuating buttons 35a to 35d to
display the request information generated by the controller 42,
reception states from the data sending device 2 or the connection
states with the data relaying device 5.
[0064] The I/F 37 is an input/output interface for an external
input/output device, such as a keyboard, modem or display. The
lower part on the lateral surface of the casing of the portable
terminal device 6 is provided with a connection terminal 37a for
interconnecting the I/F 37 with the external input/output device,
as shown in FIG. 2.
[0065] The data expanding unit 38 expands musical data, that is
compressed data, read out from the RAM 34 or the hard disc drive
32.
[0066] The battery 39 furnishes the source voltage to the
respective constituent elements of the portable terminal device 6
and may be a repeatedly rechargeable secondary cell, for example, a
nickel cadmium cell, nickel hydrogen cell or lithium ion cell. In
the present embodiment, the battery 39 is automatically charged by
the voltage supplied from the charging unit 28 of the data relaying
device 5 when the portable terminal device 6 is connected to the
data relaying device 5.
[0067] The D/A controller 41 converts digital signals outputted by
the data expanding unit 38 into analog playback signals. The
playback signals generated after conversion by the D/A controller
41 are sent to the terminal 41a so as to be outputted as speech or
as music via an external speaker 43 connected to the terminal
41a.
[0068] The controller 42 reads out the control program stored in
the ROM 33 to execute the read-out program to output a control
signal to respective blocks of the portable terminal device 6 to
execute pre-set processing. Specifically, the controller 42
generates the request information based on the actuation input
signals from the actuating input unit 35 to send the request
information to the data relaying device 5 by way of a control
operation. The controller 42 also outputs the data stored in the
RAM 34 via data expanding unit 38 and D/A controller 41 to an
external speaker 43 by way of a playback operation. The controller
42 furnishes the data stored in the RAM 34 to the hard disc drive
32 for storage in the hard discs held therein.
[0069] The request information sent by the portable terminal device
6 to the data sending device 2 may be exemplified by the user ID
information, data designation information for specifying data
desired to be acquired, and the accounting information specifying
whether or not the user is intending to make corresponding
payments. The user ID information is previously stored in the
memory in the controller 42 in order to generate the user ID
information automatically.
[0070] In order for the data sending device 2 to execute the
above-mentioned genre-based sending program, it suffices if the
genre designation information for specifying the genre of musical
data desired to be acquired is sent to the data sending device 2 in
place of the data designation information of the request
information. In order for the data sending device 2 to execute the
above-mentioned new musical number data sending program, it
suffices if the new musical number information for requesting only
the new musical number data to be transferred is sent to the data
sending device 2 in place of the data designating information. At
this time, the above-mentioned genre designation information may be
sent simultaneously with the new musical number request information
in order to acquire only new musical number data in the specified
genre.
[0071] The basic operation in the respective devices when the user
acquires music data in accordance with the so-called MOD system in
the present data sending receiving system 1 is hereinafter
explained. The user acts on the actuating buttons 35a to 35d of the
actuating input unit 35a of the portable terminal device 6 to
designate one or more desired data. If new musical number data is
contained in the specified data, the above-mentioned accounting
information is entered to decide whether or not to make payments.
The portable terminal device 6 then generates the request
information including the accounting information by the controller
42. This request information is stored in the RAM 34.
[0072] For designating the data, it suffices if the schematics and
a list of data registered in the hard disc array 12 of the data
sending device 2 are stored as a data base menu in the ROM 33 or in
the RAM 34 and desired data is selected from this data base menu by
actuation of the actuating buttons 35a to 35d. At this time point,
the portable terminal device 6 need not be connected to the data
relaying device 5.
[0073] If the portable terminal device 6, in which the request
information has been generated as described above, is loaded on the
mounting portion 7 of the data relaying device 5, and the
controller 29 of the data relaying device 5 detects that the
portable terminal device 6 has been loaded in position, the
controller 29 of the data relaying device 5 reads out the relay
control program from the ROM 23 to execute the read-out program.
This connects the portable terminal device 6 via data relaying
device 5 and the communication network 3 to the data sending device
2. In the data sending receiving system 1, the request information
stored in the RAM 34 is sent from the I/F 31 to the data relaying
device 5 under control by the controller 42. The data relaying
device 5 which has received the request information from the
portable terminal device 6 sends this request information via
communication network 3 to the data sending device 2 under control
by the controller 29.
[0074] In the data sending device 2, the request information sent
from the device 5 is entered to the interfacing unit 11, the
request information entering the interfacing unit 11 being then
sent to the controller 15 and to the data retrieving processing
unit 13. The data retrieving processing unit 13 refers to the data
designation information of the request information to retrieve and
read out the corresponding data from the hard disc array 12. The
controller 15 controls the interfacing unit 11 to send the data
read out from the hard disc array 12 via communication network 3 to
the data relaying device 5 based on the request information. The
music data read out from the hard disc array 12, that is the music
data designated by the user, is received by the data relaying
device 5. The controller 15 discriminates, based on the user ID
information in the request information, whether or not the user of
the portable terminal device 6 is the user who can use the data
sending receiving system 1, and permits only the user capable of
using the data sending receiving system 1 to perform the operations
indicated in the flowcharts of FIG. 5 ff.
[0075] The controller 29 of the data relaying device 5 which has
received the data controls the respective blocks so that the
received data will be sent to the portable terminal device 6.
Specifically, the controller 29 sends data entering the modem 21
via I/F 27 to the portable terminal device 6, while causing the
data to be stored on the hard disc of the hard disc drive 22. This
permits the data to be backed-up by the hard disc drive 22 even if
the data relaying device 5 is disconnected from the portable
terminal device 6 during data sending.
[0076] The basic operation in the respective devices when the user
acquires new musical number data in the data sending receiving
system 1 is explained with reference to the flowcharts.
[0077] FIG. 5 shows that plural data is designated in the data
designating information of the request information sent by the
portable terminal device 6 to the data sending device 2.
Specifically, FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing processing contents of
t the data sending device 2, data relaying device 5 and the
portable terminal device 6 in case the designation of new musical
number data is contained in this data designation information. That
is, this flowchart shows a typical processing of switching the
sending mode when the data sending device 2 sends data to the data
receiving device 4 depending on the possible presence of accounting
for the new musical number data.
[0078] The controller 15 of the data sending device 2 having
received the request information refers to the data designation
information of the request information at step s1 to control the
data retrieving processing unit 13 to retrieve and read out data
designated by the user from the hard disc array 12.
[0079] At the next step S2, the controller 15 verifies whether or
not data read out from the hard disc array 12 is the new musical
number flag explained with reference to FIG. 4, based on the new
musical number data. If the result of check at step S2 is YES, that
is if the data is the new musical number data, the flow moves to
step S3. If the result is NO, that is if the data is found not to
be the new musical number data, the flow moves to step S5.
[0080] At step S3, the controller 15 refers to the payment
information of the request information to check whether or not the
user is willing to make payments for the new musical number data.
If the result of check at step S3 is YES, that is if it is found
that the user is willing to make payments for the new musical
number data, the flow moves to step S4. If the result of check at
step S3 is NO, that is if it is found that the user is not willing
to make payments for the new musical number data, the flow moves to
step S6.
[0081] At step S4, the controller 15 controls the accounting
processing unit 14 to execute preset accounting for the new musical
number data before the flow moves to step S5.
[0082] At step S5, the controller 15 switches to the sending mode
of sending the new musical number data or other musical data, for
which accounting has been made, to the data receiving device 4 with
the same sound quality, that is with high sound quality, and
executes data processing matched to the mode, before proceeding to
step S7. On the other hand, the controller 15 at step S5 switches
to the sending mode of sending the new musical number data for
which the user is not willing to make payments with a sound quality
lower than that of other musical data, executes data processing
matched to the mode, before proceeding to step S7. If new musical
number data is sent at step S5 or S7, a new musical number flag is
set in a header of each data packet before sending the data
packet.
[0083] As for the processing at steps S5 and S6, the new musical
number data or other data, read out from the hard disc array 12 is
directly sent at step S5, while new musical number data is
converted at the processing at step S6 to audio data which is sent
directly or after limiting the S/N ratio or the frequency range of
the new musical number data. It is also possible to send only new
musical number data for one chorus without degrading the sound
quality of the new musical number data.
[0084] By executing the processing at step S6, it is possible for
the data sending device 2 to send new musical number data as sample
data to the user failing or not willing to make payments.
[0085] The data sent in this manner from the data sending device 2
is received by the data relaying device 5 at step S7 and sent to
the portable terminal device 6 under control by the controller 29
of the data relaying device 5.
[0086] The portable terminal device 6 on reception of data from the
data relaying device 5 at step S8 detects the new musical number
flag of the header of each data packet shown in FIG. 4 by the
controller 42 to check at step S9 whether or not the data is the
new musical number data. If the result of check at S9 is YES, that
is if the data is found to be the new musical number data, the flow
moves to step S10 and, if otherwise, the flow moves to step
S11.
[0087] The controller 42 allows the new musical number data to be
supplied to the hard disc drive 32 at step S10 to control the data
to be stored in the hard disc in the hard disc drive 32.
[0088] The controller 42 performs control at the next step S11 to
send the new musical number data or other data to the data
expanding unit 38 to expand the data to sequentially reproduce the
data. This permits the portable terminal device 6 to sequentially
reproduce the data requested by the user and to record only the new
musical number data automatically on the hard disc. On the portable
terminal device 6, the new musical number data for which payment
has been made can be heard with the same sound quality as that of
other musical data, while the new musical number data for which
payment has not been made can be heard as data processed at step
S6, that is as so-called sample data.
[0089] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the
data sending device 2, data relaying device 5 and the portable
terminal device 6 in case the data sending device 2 performs
so-called push type services similar to broadcasting. In this
flowchart, the portable terminal device 6 designates a specified
music genre to permit the data sending device 2 to start the
above-mentioned genre-based sending program to sequentially send
the music data of the specified genre to the data receiving device
4.
[0090] The controller 15 of the data sending device 2 on reception
of the genre designation information refers at step S2 to the genre
designation information of the request information to control the
data retrieving processing unit 13 to sequentially retrieve and
read out the music data in the specified genre from the hard disc
array 12. In this case, the read-out musical data contains not only
the new musical number data but also other music data.
[0091] At the next step S22, the controller 15 performs control to
send the read-out musical data sequentially to the data receiving
device 4. It should be noted that, when sending the new musical
number data, a new musical number flag is set in the header of each
data packet before sending the data.
[0092] The musical data sent from the data sending device 2 is
received at step S23 by the data relaying device 5 and thence sent
to the portable terminal device 6 under control by the controller
29 of the data relaying device 5.
[0093] The portable terminal device 6 on reception of the musical
data from the data relaying device 5 at step S24 detects the new
musical number flag of the header of the packet of each data packet
shown in FIG. 4 to check whether or not the data is the new musical
number data (step S25). If the result of check at step S25 is YES,
that is if the data is found to be the new musical number data, the
flow moves to step S26 and, if otherwise, the flow moves to step
S27.
[0094] The controller 42 at step S26 sends the new musical number
data to the hard disc drive 32 to control the hard disc drive 32 to
record the data on the hard disc in the hard disc drive 32.
[0095] The controller 42 performs control at step S27 to send the
new musical number data or other musical data to the data expanding
unit 38 to expand the data to sequentially reproduce the data.
Thus, in the portable terminal device 6, the musical data of the
genre specified by the user is sequentially reproduced, while only
the new musical number data is automatically recorded on the hard
disc.
[0096] At the next step S28, the controller 42 is in a state of
waiting for an input indicating whether the payment should be made
for each new musical number data recorded on the hard disc of the
hard disc drive 32. If the result of check at step S28 is YES, that
is if an input indicates that payment should be made, the
reproducing state is switched to permit the new musical number data
to be reproduced with the same high quality as that of the other
music data to execute the processing of step S29. If the result of
check at step S28 is NO, that is if an input indicates that payment
is not made, the reproducing state is terminated, on the assumption
that the user is not willing to reproduce data with high sound
quality.
[0097] The controller 15 of the data sending device 2, which has
received this request information, controls the accounting
processing unit 14 at step S30 to make preset payment for the
specified new musical number data.
[0098] After completion of the sending of the request information,
the controller 42 of the portable terminal device 6 performs
control at step S31 to set an accounting flag indicating the end of
accounting for the musical data stored in the hard disc of the hard
disc drive 32. This processing is performed by appending a flag to
the leading end of the data, rewriting file allocation table (FAT)
data or directory data of the hard disc or by providing the
controller 42 with a table for data names of the music data stored
in the hard disc and by setting a pointer in this table, as shown
in FIG. 7.
[0099] It is also possible to provide a new step between the step
S30 and the step S31, to send data indicating the end of the
accounting from the data sending device 2 to the portable terminal
device 6 when the accounting at step S30 comes to a close and to
execute the processing of step S31 by the portable terminal device
6 detecting this data.
[0100] By the above processing, an accounting flag is set on only
those of the new musical number data recorded in the hard disc of
the hard disc drive 32 for which the payment has been made.
[0101] In the above description, it is assumed that the data
sending device 2 has started the genre-based sending program by the
portable terminal device 6 sending the genre-based designation
information. However, similar processing may be used when the data
sending device 2 starts the new musical number data sending program
by the portable terminal device 6 sending the above-mentioned new
musical number request information. It this case, it suffices if
the controller 15 of the data sending device 2 having received the
new musical number request information retrieves the new musical
number identifier to sequentially retrieve and read out new musical
number data from the hard disc array 12.
[0102] If the controller 15 also receives the genre designation
information along with the new musical number request information,
it suffices if the data retrieving processing unit 13 is controlled
at step S21 to sequentially retrieve and read out new musical
number data of the genre specified by the user. If the data sending
device 2 executes this new musical number data sending program, the
processing of step S25 for checking on the side of the portable
terminal device 6 if the data is the new musical number data based
on the new musical number flag is unnecessary.
[0103] The playback processing for reproducing the acquired new
musical number data for the case of reproducing new musical number
data recorded on the hard disc of the hard disc drive 32 on the
present portable terminal device 6 is explained with reference to
the flowchart shown in FIG. 6. In this case, the portable terminal
device 6 is taken out of the data relaying device 5 and a headphone
44 is connected to the terminal 41a. This allows the user to hear
the music of the new musical number data corresponding to the
acquired new musical number data as the user carries the portable
terminal device 6. The playback processing for new musical number
data by the portable terminal device 6 is explained with reference
to the flowchart shown in FIG. 9.
[0104] At step S41 at the time of transfer to the new musical
number data reproducing mode, the controller 42 of the portable
terminal device 6 is in a state of waiting for a playback request
for new musical number data. An actuation input signal, specifying
the playback request, is kept at this step S41 until the actuation
input signal specifying the playback request is supplied from the
actuating input unit 35, with the actuation input signal
transferring to step S42 when a playback request is issued.
Specifically, at step S41, all data names of the new musical number
data stored on the hard disc are displayed on the display unit 36
and the user then selects and decides one or more of the new
musical number data desired to be reproduced by the user acting on
one of the actuating buttons 35a to 35d of the actuating input unit
35.
[0105] At step S42, the controller 42 checks whether or not the
accounting flag shown in FIG. 7 has been set on new musical number
data requested to be reproduced. At step S43, the new musical
number data found at step S42 to be that for which the accounting
flag is set (YES) is processed before the flow moves to step S45.
The new musical number data found at step S42 to be that for which
no accounting flag has been set (NO) is processed at step S44
before the flow moves to step S45.
[0106] At step S43, the controller 42 switches the playback state
of the portable terminal device 6 to a high quality playback mode.
Conversely, at step S44, the controller 42 switches the playback
state of the portable terminal device 6 to a low quality playback
mode. Examples of the reproducing processing of the low quality
reproducing mode include executing data expansion at a lower data
expansion rate than that used for expansion processing for the high
quality reproducing mode, executing monaural reproduction if the
new musical number data is stereo musical data or limiting the
reproducing time such as reproducing only one chorus of the new
musical number data.
[0107] At step S45, the controller 42 controls the data expanding
unit 38 so that the new musical number data will be reproduced in
accordance with the playback mode as set or with the reproducing
state. The data sending receiving system 1 then reproduces the new
musical number data recorded on the hard disc of the hard disc
drive 32 in such a manner that high quality reproduction is made as
other musical data if the musical data as new musical number data
with the accounting flag set is reproduced, while reproduction at a
lower sound quality than in reproducing other musical data as at
step S44 is made by way of a sample-wise reproduction if the
musical data as new musical number data devoid of the accounting
flag set is reproduced.
[0108] At the next step, the end waiting state is set in order to
wait for termination of the reproducing operation. Thus, control
dwells at this step S46 until the reproducing processing on all
designated new musical number data comes to a close and, if the
data reproducing operation comes to a close, control reverts to
step s41 to repeat the processing from step S41 to step S46.
[0109] That is, if the new musical number data stored on the hard
disc of the hard disc drive 32 is to be reproduced with the present
data sending receiving system 1, and the new musical number data to
be reproduced is the new musical number data with the accounting
flag set, high quality reproduction is executed as in the case of
other musical data. If the new musical number data reproduced is
that devoid of the accounting flag as set, sample-wise reproduction
with a lower sound quality than in reproducing other musical data
is executed. Thus, new musical number data for which payment has
not been made can be heard repeatedly for trial sake. If there is
any musical number data that has suited to the liking of the user
as a result of tentative hearing, the corresponding new musical
number data that can be reproduced with high sound quality
similarly to other musical data can be acquired by the processing
explained with reference to FIG. 5.
[0110] In the above-described embodiment, the portable terminal
device 6 and the data sending device 2 are interconnected via data
relaying device 5. It is however possible to interconnect a modem
46 accessible to the communication network 3 to the I/F 37 shown in
FIG. 3 via connection terminal 37a of the portable terminal device
6 to interconnect the portable terminal device 6 and the data
sending device 2 without interposition of the data relaying device
5, as shown in FIG. 10. In this case, it is also possible to
interconnect a keyboard 45 or a display 47 to the connection
terminal 37a for convenience in the inputting or display
operations.
[0111] In the above-described embodiment, there is shown a data
relaying device interconnecting a sole portable terminal device 6
with the data sending device 2. The present invention is, however,
not limited to this specified constitution. For example, a data
relaying device 50 capable of interconnecting plural portable
terminal devices 6, as shown in FIG. 1. Specifically, the data
relaying device 50 includes plural mounting portions 7 for
connecting to the portable terminal devices 6 on a base block of
the device 50 and a corresponding plural number of actuating
buttons 25a and display units 26. That is, with the present data
relaying devices 50, the blocks 22 to 30 making up the data
relaying device 50 are provided internally so that a number of
users can acquire new musical number data or musical data at a
time.
[0112] In the above-described embodiment, musical data for a new
musical number that is on the market only for a pre-set period
since it was first put on the market, such as for one month. The
present invention is, however, not limited to this and any musical
data not received by the user as yet, that is musical data that is
new musical number data for the user, may be defined as new musical
number data.
[0113] In this case, it suffices if the index information of data
stored in the hard disc drive 32 of the current portable terminal
device 6 is sent along with the above-mentioned request data to the
data sending device 2 in order for the data sending device 2 to
check if the information is the new information to permit only
musical data not stored in the hard disc drive 32 of the portable
terminal device 6 to be sent to the portable terminal device 6. It
is also possible for the portable terminal device 6 to compare the
data stored in the hard disc drive 32 to the data sent from the
data sending device 2 in order to record only musical data not
stored in the hard disc drive 32.
* * * * *