Patent ID: 6212682
Filing Date: 2001-04-03
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A sound/moving picture reproduction system, comprising:a main data transferring device including a sound/moving picture data storing portion storing sound/moving picture data;a plurality of auxiliary data transferring devices connected to the main data transferring device, each of the plurality of auxiliary data transferring devices including a copied data storing portion storing copied data of the received sound/moving picture data; anda plurality of data reproducing devices connected to at least a part of the plurality of auxiliary data transferring devices, each of the plurality of data reproducing devices reproducing received sound/moving picture data;wherein the main data transferring device further includes a control portion for reading sound/moving picture data from the sound/moving picture data storing portion and for transferring the read sound/moving picture data to either one of the plurality of auxiliary data transferring devices;wherein each of the plurality of auxiliary data transferring devices further includes a transfer control portion for, upon receipt of sound/moving picture data, copying the received sound/moving picture data into the copied data storing portion and for transferring the copied sound/moving picture data in a direction toward one of the plurality of data reproducing devices;wherein each of the plurality of data reproducing devices further includes a sound/moving picture data request portion for requesting the main data transferring device to transfer desired sound/moving picture data;wherein the main data transferring device includes a copied data output instruction portion judging whether the requested sound/moving picture data has already been copied in one of the plurality of auxiliary data transferring devices and instructing, when it is judged that one auxiliary data transferring device has already copied the requested sound/moving picture data, the one auxiliary data transferring device to output the copied sound/moving picture data toward the data reproducing device that has requested;wherein all the plurality of auxiliary data transferring devices are directly connected in parallel to the main data transferring device; andwherein the plurality of data reproducing devices are connected to all the plurality of auxiliary data transferring devices.