Abstract:
The present invention is intended to provide a content providing system having a terminal and a server. The terminal includes a selector for selecting search information from presentation information presented to a user; a search information transmitter for transmitting the search information selected by the selecting means to the server; and a content data receiver for receiving content data corresponding to the search information supplied from the server. The server includes a storage device for storing the content data corresponding to the search information; a searcher for searching the storage means for the content data corresponding to the search information supplied from the search information transmitter of the terminal; and a content data transmitter for transmitting the content data retrieved from the storage information to the terminal. Consequently, the novel constitution allows the user to obtain content data with simple and easy operations.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to a communication apparatus and method, a recording medium, a program, and a content providing system and, more particularly, to a communication apparatus and method, a recording medium, a program, and a content providing system which facilitate the acquisition of content.  
           [0002]    When acquiring content (predetermined texts, video data, image data, audio data, game programs, and so on) via the Internet for example, each user starts a browsing program (or a browser) to search for a site holding desired content, or to be more specific, access a search engine site and enters a keyword associated with the desired content; for example, artist name or content title.  
           [0003]    Then, the user accesses the site holding the desired content associated with the entered keyword referred to by the search engine site to obtain the desired content.  
           [0004]    However, if, in order to obtain other content held in another site referred to by the site first accessed by the user, that another site holding desired content is not linked to the site first accessed by the user, the user must access the search engine site again and enter the keyword for the other desired content to go to the site holding that content.  
           [0005]    Namely, the user must first access a search engine site every time he desires to obtain content and enter content-associated keywords, which takes much time and labor for each user to obtain desired content.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a communication apparatus and method, a recording medium, a program, and a content providing system which allow each user to obtain desired content with simple operations.  
           [0007]    In carrying out the invention and acceding to one aspect thereof, there is provided a content providing system having a terminal and a server. The terminal comprises a selector for selecting search information from presentation information presented to a user; a search information transmitter for transmitting the search information selected by the selecting means to the server; and a content data receiver for receiving content data corresponding to the search information supplied from the server. The server comprises a storage device for storing the content data corresponding to the search information; a searcher for searching the storage means for the content data corresponding to the search information supplied from the search information transmitter of the terminal; and a content data transmitter for transmitting the content data retrieved from the storage information to the terminal.  
           [0008]    In carrying out the invention and according to another aspect thereof, there is provided a communication apparatus comprising: a display section capable of displaying at least text information; a selecting section for selecting search information from presentation information presented on the display section in response to a first user input operation; a display control section for performing control so that a menu having a transmission item for transmitting at least the search information to a remote communication apparatus in response to a second user input operation; a search information transmitting section for transmitting the search information to the remote communication apparatus in response to a third user input operation for selecting the transmission item in the menu; and a content data receiving section for receiving content data corresponding to the search information supplied from the remote communication apparatus. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    These and other objects of the invention will be seen by reference to the description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary connection of a content providing system to which the present invention is applied;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is an exemplary display screen of an output section  17 ;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a personal computer shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary functional configuration of the personal computer shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a flowchart describing a processing procedure for starting a content acquisition program;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is another exemplary display screen of the output section  17 ;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is still another exemplary display screen of the output section  17 ;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 is yet another exemplary display screen of the output section  17 ;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary functional configuration of a content server shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 10 is a flowchart describing operations of the personal computer and the content server shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating another exemplary configuration of the content providing system to which the present invention is applied;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 12 is another exemplary display screen of the output section  17 ;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 13 illustrates data recorded to a search server shown in FIG. 11;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 14 is an exemplary display of an operator screen shown on the output section  17 ;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary functional configuration of the search server shown in FIG. 11;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary functional configuration of an EMD server shown in FIG. 11;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIGS. 17A and 17B illustrate data for downloading and data for streaming; and  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 18 is a flowchart describing operations of the personal computer, the search server, and the EMD server shown in FIG. 11.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0028]    This invention will be described in further detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Now, referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an exemplary configuration of a content providing system to which the present invention is applied.  
         [0029]    When a predetermined character string (“MOVIE A” which is the title of movie A) for example in a sentence shown in FIG. 2 displayed on an output section  17  is selected as a keyword, a personal computer  1  sends the selected character string to a content server  3  via the Internet  2 . It should be noted that the text display shown in FIG. 2 includes the text display in a wordprocessor application, an electronic mail application, and Web browser application for example. Namely, these applications may be any if that can display texts on the output section  17 .  
         [0030]    The content server  3  manages content data (the audio data and the video data for movies) on a keyword basis (for example, movie title). Receiving “MOVIE A” (keyword) from the personal computer  1 , the content server  3  retrieves the content data of “MOVIE A” and sends the content data to the personal computer  1  via the Internet  2 .  
         [0031]    The personal computer  1  receives the content transmitted from the content server  3  and records or reproduces the received content.  
         [0032]    Namely, in this content providing system, the personal computer  1  transmits the selected character string (in this example, “MOVIE A”) in the sentence displayed on the output section  17  as a keyword to the content server  3 . The content server  3  searches for the content corresponding to this keyword and transmits the retrieved content to the personal computer  1 . Consequently, the user of the personal computer  1  may only select a keyword from a sentence displayed on the output section  17  to obtain the desired content corresponding to the selected and entered keyword.  
         [0033]    Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a exemplary configuration of the personal computer  1 . A CPU (Central Processing Unit)  11  is connected to an input/output interface  16  via a bus  15 . When a command is inputted by the user through an input section  18  constituted by a keyboard and a mouse for example, the CPU  11  executes a program stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory)  12 , a hard disk  14 , or such a recording medium loaded in a drive  20  as a magnetic disk  31 , an optical disk  32 , a magneto-optical disk  33 , or a semiconductor memory  34  by loading the program into a RAM (Random Access Memory)  13 . By this, various processing operations described below are executed. In addition, the CPU  11  outputs the results of these processing operations to an output section  17  constituted by a LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and a speaker for example via the input/output interface  16 , on an as required basis.  
         [0034]    Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown an exemplary functional configuration of a content acquisition program which is executed for the CPU  11  of the personal computer  1  to use the content providing system. In this example, a keyword acquisition section  51 , a processing section  52 , and a reproducing section  53  constitute the functional block of the CPU  11 . Obviously, each of these sections may be processed by different hardwares and, especially, a decoder IC and a speaker for the reproducing section  53  may be arranged on the personal computer  1 .  
         [0035]    First, a processing procedure for starting the content acquisition program will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 5.  
         [0036]    In step S 1 , when the left button of the mouse of the input section  18  is clicked with the pointer pointing at a character string of a sentence displayed on the output section  17  as shown in FIG. 6 for example, the processing section  52  detects the pointed character string and controls the output section  17  to display the detected character string in a reverse video manner. This allows the user to recognize that this reverse-video character string has been selected as a keyword.  
         [0037]    In step S 2 , when the right button of the mouse is clicked with the keyword (“MOVIE A”) selected as shown in FIG. 2, the processing section  52  controls the output section  17  to display a menu including “SEND TO SERVER” as shown in FIG. 7. This menu may be a popup menu (namely, a pull-down menu or a pull-up menu) for example.  
         [0038]    In step S 3 , when “SEND TO SERVER” is selected in the menu displayed in step S 2 , then the processing section  52  controls the output section  17  to display “SEND TO SERVER” in the menu in reverse video as shown in FIG. 8 and, in step S 4 , starts executing the content acquisition program.  
         [0039]    When the content acquisition program starts, the keyword acquisition section  51  (FIG. 4) of this program gets, as a keyword, the character string “MOVIE A” selected when “SEND TO SERVER” in the menu was selected as shown in FIG. 8 and supplies the keyword to a communication section  19 . The communication section  19  sends the keyword supplied from the keyword acquisition section  51  to the content server  3  via the Internet  2 .  
         [0040]    The processing section  52  converts the content data corresponding to the keyword (“MOVIE A”) transmitted from the communication section  19  and supplied from the content server  3  into the content data which can be reproducible on the reproducing section  53  for example and then supplies the converted content data to the reproducing section  53 . The reproducing section  53  reproduces the supplied content data or the converted content data.  
         [0041]    Referring to FIG. 9, there is shown an exemplary functionally configuration of the content server  3 .  
         [0042]    A communication section  62  receives the keyword supplied from the personal computer  1  and supplies the received keyword to a control section  61 . The communication section  62  also sends the content data, corresponding to a keyword retrieved by a search section  63  supplied from the control section  61 , to the personal computer  1  via the Internet  2 .  
         [0043]    A database  64  manages content data on a keyword basis. Namely, the search section  63  references the database  64  to retrieve the content data corresponding to the keyword supplied from the personal computer  1  via the control section  61  and supplies the retrieved content data to the control section  61 .  
         [0044]    The following describes the operations of personal computer  1  (or the content acquisition program) and the content server  3  with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 10.  
         [0045]    It is assumed in this example that “SEND TO SERVER” in the menu has been selected with “MOVIE A” in the sentence displayed on the output section  17  of the personal computer  1  selected as a keyword as shown in FIG. 8.  
         [0046]    Namely, in step S 11 , the keyword acquisition section  51  of the personal computer  1  gets “MOVIE A” as a keyword and, in step S 12 , sends the keyword to the content server  3  via the communication section  19 .  
         [0047]    In step S 13 , the personal computer  1  waits until the content data to be transmitted from the content server  3  in step S 23  to be described later come.  
         [0048]    In step S 21 , the content server  3  (or the control section  61 ) until the communication section  62  receives the keyword (“MOVIE A”) transmitted from the personal computer  1  in step S 12 . When the keyword is received, the procedure goes to step S 22 .  
         [0049]    In step S 22 , the control section  61  of the content server  3  retrieves, from the database  64  via the search section  63 , the content data corresponding to the keyword (“MOVIE A”).  
         [0050]    In step S 23 , the control section  61  of the content server  3  controls the communication section  62  to send the content data retrieved in step S 22  to the personal computer  1 . Then, the control section  61  returns to step S 21  to repeat the above-mentioned processing therefrom.  
         [0051]    In step S 13 , upon reception of the content data supplied from the content server  3  in step S 23 , the personal computer  1  (or the processing section  52 ) goes to step S 14  to perform predetermined processing on the received content data. For example, the processing section  52  performs control so as to store the received content data into the hard disk  14  or supplies the content data to the reproducing section  53 . If the received content data are compressed data for example, the processing section  52  may decompress the content data before supplying to the reproducing section  53 .  
         [0052]    Then, the above-mentioned sequence of processing operations comes to an end.  
         [0053]    Referring to FIG. 11, there is shown another exemplary configuration of the content providing system to which the present invention is applied.  
         [0054]    When character string (“PERFORMER A”) in a sentence shown in FIG. 12 for example displayed on the output section  17  is selected as a keyword, the personal computer  1  sends the selected character string to a search server  71  via the Internet  2 .  
         [0055]    As shown in FIG. 13, the search server  71  manages, in correspondence to an artist name, which is the keyword in this example, such information associated with the artist name as music title and music ID, and the address (in this example, URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of a server managing the music data.  
         [0056]    Upon reception of the artist name (or the keyword) from the personal computer  1 , the search server  71  retrieves the accompanying information (music title and music ID) corresponding to the artist name and the URL of the server managing the music data and sends the retrieved accompanying information and URL to the personal computer  1 .  
         [0057]    On the basis of the information received from the search server  71 , the processing section  52  causes the output section  17  to display an operator screen shown in FIG. 14 for example. The operator screen shown in FIG. 14 shows artist name (“PERFORMER A”), music titles (MUSIC  1  through MUSIC  4 ), PREVIEW buttons for test-listening these music titles, and BUY buttons for ordering these music titles.  
         [0058]    For example, the processing section  52  performs control so as to temporarily store, on a keyword basis, into the hard disk  14  or the RAM  13  the URL managing music titles, music IDs, and music data returned from the search server  71 . When a PREVIEW button or a BUY button on the operator screen shown in FIG. 14 is operated, the processing section  52  identifies the URL of the server (in this example, an EMD server  72 ) managing the music data corresponding to the operated button on the basis of the temporarily stored information and controls the communication section  19  to send the music ID of the corresponding the operation done on the operator screen and a signal indicative of the test-listening or purchase of that music title.  
         [0059]    The EMD server  72  manages music data on a music ID basis. Upon reception of the music ID and the signal for test-listening or purchase from the personal computer  1 , the EMD server  72  retrieves the music data corresponding to the music ID and generates the music data for test-listening or purchase from the retrieved music data, sending the generated music data to the personal computer  1 .  
         [0060]    It should be noted that the music data for test-listening are not encrypted but added with predetermined control information for restricting the number of times the music data may be reproduced, for example. The music data for purchase are encrypted but decrypted by a key to be given on the basis of the results of fee-charge processing to be separately executed.  
         [0061]    The personal computer  1  receives the music data (the music data for test-listening or purchase) from the EMD server  72  to record or reproduce the received data.  
         [0062]    Namely, in the present content providing system, the personal computer  1  sends the selected character string (in this example, artist name) in the sentence shown on the output section  17  to the search server  71  as a keyword. The search server  71  retrieves the URL of the EMD server  72  managing the content data corresponding to that keyword. The personal computer  1  sends the keyword to the EMD server  72  from which the URL has been retrieved by the search server  71 . The EMD server  72  sends the content data corresponding to the received keyword to the personal computer  1 . Consequently, the user of the personal computer  1  may only select a keyword from a sentence displayed on the output section  17  to access the server (in this example, the EMD server  72 ) which manages the content data corresponding to the selected keyword, thereby obtaining desired content.  
         [0063]    Referring to FIG. 15, there is shown an exemplary functional configuration of the search server  71 .  
         [0064]    A communication section  82  receives the keyword (artist name) from the personal computer  1  and sends it to a control section  81  and sends the URL managing the accompanying information and music data corresponding to the artist name retrieved by a search section  83  to the personal computer  1  via the Internet  2 .  
         [0065]    A database  84  holds the information shown in FIG. 13. Namely, the search section  83  retrieves from the database  84  the accompanying information (music title and music ID) and music data corresponding to the keyword (artist name) supplied from the personal computer  1  via the control section  81  and supplies the retrieved URL to the control section  81 .  
         [0066]    Referring to FIG. 16, there is shown an exemplary functional configuration of the EMD server  72 .  
         [0067]    A communication section  92  receives the music ID and signal indicative of test-listening or purchase from the personal computer  1  and sends them to a control section  91 . The communication section  92  also sends the music data for test-listening or purchase generated by a transmission information generating section  95  and supplied via the control section  91  to the personal computer  1  via the Internet  2 .  
         [0068]    A database  94  manages music data on a music ID basis. Namely, a search section  93  retrieves the music data corresponding to the music ID sent from the personal computer  1  and supplied from the control section  91  from the database  94  and supplies the retrieved music data to the control section  91 .  
         [0069]    The transmission information generating section  95  has a download data generating section  95 A and a streaming data generating section  95 B.  
         [0070]    The download data generating section  95 A puts the data supplied from the control section  91  into a packet based on a highly reliable communication protocol, TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)/IP (Internet Protocol) and generates the data to be downloaded. The streaming data generating section  95 B puts the data supplied from the control section  91  into a packet based on UDP (User Datagram Protocol)/IP, which prioritize communication speed over communication reliability, and generates the data to be streamed-reproduced.  
         [0071]    The download data are supplied as the music data to be purchased or the streaming data are supplied as the music data for test-listening to the personal computer  1  via the Internet  2 . If the download data are supplied, the personal computer  1  reproduces the music data after all of the content data have been downloaded (for example, into a recording medium such as the hard disk  14 ) as shown in FIG. 17A.  
         [0072]    On the other hand, if the steaming data are supplied, the personal computer  1  reproduces the content data while they are being supplied as shown in FIG. 17B (for example, the streaming data are directly reproduced without being stored in a recording medium such as the hard disk  14 . However, the data which are reproduced via an audio buffer based on DRAM are included in the streaming data.)  
         [0073]    The following describes the operations of the personal computer  1  (or the content acquisition program), the search server  71 , and the EMD server  72  with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 18. It should be noted that the content acquisition program of the personal computer  1  is executed along the processing procedure shown in the flowchart shown in FIG. 5. It is assumed here that “SEND TO SERVER” in the menu be selected with “PERFORMER A”, which is the artist name in the sentence displayed on the output section  17  of the personal computer  1 , selected as a keyword.  
         [0074]    In step S 31 , the keyword acquisition section  51  (FIG. 4) of the personal computer  1  gets selected “PERFORMER A” (artist name) as a keyword and sends it to the search server  71  via the communication section  19  in step S 32 .  
         [0075]    In step S 33 , the personal computer  1  waits for the information to be supplied from the search server  71  in step S 43  to be described later.  
         [0076]    In step S 41 , the search server  71  (the control section  81 ) waits for the communication section  82  to receive the keyword from the personal computer  1  in step S 32  and, upon its reception, goes to step S 42 .  
         [0077]    In step S 42 , the control section  81  of the search server  71  retrieves, from the database  84  (FIG. 13), the URL of the server (in this example, EMD server  72 ) which manages the accompanying information (music title and music ID) and music data corresponding to the received keyword (in this example, PERFORMER A as artist name).  
         [0078]    In step S 43 , the control section  81  of the search server  71  controls the communication section  82  to send the accompanying information (music title and music ID) retrieved in step S 42  and the URL of the EMD server  72  managing the music data to the personal computer  1 . Then, the control section  81  returns to step S 41  to repeat the above-mentioned processing therefrom.  
         [0079]    When the information transmitted from the search server  71  in step S 43  is received in step S 33 , the personal computer  1  (or the processing section  52 ) goes to step S 34  to wait until the music ID is determined and whether to test-listen or purchase that music is determined (hereafter, the contents determined here are referred to as usage conditions). Namely, at this moment, the processing section  52  controls the output section  17  to display an operator screen as shown in FIG. 14 on the basis of the accompanying information (music title and music ID) corresponding to the artist name and the URL of the EMD server  72  managing the music data supplied from the search server  71  and waits until the operator screen is operated by the user.  
         [0080]    If the usage conditions (the music ID and the test-listening or purchase of that music) are determined in step S 34 , namely if any of the PREVIEW buttons or BUY buttons on the operator screen shown in FIG. 14 is operated, then the procedure goes to step S 35 .  
         [0081]    In step S 35 , the processing section  52  of the personal computer  1  detects the URL of the EMD server  72  managing the music data corresponding to the PREVIEW button or the BUY button operated in step S 34  from the information supplied from the search server  71  in step S 33  and accesses the EMD server  72  having the detected URL, sending the music ID of the music corresponding to the operated button and a signal indicative of the test-listening or purchase of that music. Namely, the usage conditions are transmitted to the EMD server  72 .  
         [0082]    In step S 36 , the personal computer  1  waits until the content data are supplied from the EMD server  72  in step S 53  to be described later.  
         [0083]    In step S 51 , the EMD server  72  (or the control section  91 ) waits until the usage conditions (the music ID and the signal indicative of test-listening or purchase) are received. Upon reception of the usage conditions, the procedure goes to step S 52 .  
         [0084]    In step S 53 , the control section  91  of the EMD server  72  controls the search section  93  to retrieve the music data (content) corresponding to the received music ID from the database  94 .  
         [0085]    In step S 53 , the control section  91  of the EMD server  72  controls the transmission information generating section  95  to generate the data for transmission (download data or streaming data) corresponding to the signal indicative of test-listening or purchase received in step S 51  on the basis of the music data retrieved in step S 52  and controls the communication section  92  to send the generated data for transmission to the personal computer  1 .  
         [0086]    If the signal supplied from the personal computer  1  indicates purchase, the control section  91  of the EMD server  72  controls the download data generating section  95 A of the transmission information generating section  95  to generate download data and send them to the personal computer  1 .  
         [0087]    On the other hand, if the signal supplied from the personal computer  1  indicates test-listening, the control section  91  of the EMD server  72  controls the streaming data generating section  95 B of the transmission information generating section  95  to generate streaming data and send them to the personal computer  1 .  
         [0088]    Then, back in step S 51 , the EMD server  72  repeats the above-mentioned processing therefrom.  
         [0089]    Upon reception, in step S 36 , of the music data supplied from the EMD server  72  in step S 53 , the personal computer  1  (or the processing section  52 ) goes to step S 37  to perform predetermined processing on the received music data. For example, if the download data are supplied, reproduction processing is started after the downloading of the entire content data. If the streaming data are supplied, streaming reproduction is performed.  
         [0090]    Then, the above-mentioned sequence of processing operations comes to an end.  
         [0091]    It should be noted that the OS (Operating System) of the personal computer  1  may be adapted to have the functionality of the content acquisition program or a browser program may be adapted to have that functionality. Alternatively, this functionality may reside as a program for adding the functionality to the OS and, when a predetermined operation (for example, simultaneous pressing of a special key such as CTRL key and a character key) is performed with the predetermined character string selected, this program supplies the selected character string to the OS as a keyword, thereby causing the OS to perform the above-mentioned sequence of processing operations.  
         [0092]    In the above-mentioned embodiment, content is music data for example. It will be apparent that the present invention is also applicable if content is language dictionary information (Japanese dictionary, Japanese-to-English dictionary, English-to-Japanese dictionary, etc.) for example.  
         [0093]    The above-mentioned sequence of processes may be executed by hardware as well as by software. To execute the above-mentioned processing by software, the programs constituting the software are installed from recording media into a computer assembled in a dedicated hardware device or a general-purpose personal computer which can execute various capabilities by installing various programs.  
         [0094]    The recording media are constituted not only by package media such as the magnetic disk  31  (including a floppy disk), the optical disk  32  (including CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory) and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk)), and the magneto-optical disk  33  (including MD (Mini Disk) (trademark), and the semiconductor memory  34  (including Memory Stick) which are distributed to users to provide programs independently of computers as shown in FIG. 3, but also by the ROM  12  and the hard disk  14  storing programs to be provided to users as installed in computers in advance.  
         [0095]    It should be noted that the steps for describing programs to be recorded in recording media include not only the processing operations which are executed in a time dependent manner in the order described, but also the processing operations which are executed in parallel to each other or discretely from each other.  
         [0096]    It should also be noted that term system as used herein denotes an entire apparatus constituted by two or more components.  
         [0097]    In the content providing system shown in FIG. 11, the accompanying information for content data is supplied to the personal computer  1  from the search server  71  in response to the transmission of an artist name as a keyword from the personal computer  1  to the search server  71 , for example. It will be apparent that the keyword is not always an artist name; any information capable of identifying content data may be used. If the database  94  of the EMD server  72  stores content data classified by genre, season, or age, genre information, season information, or age information may be used as the keyword. If the search server  71  manages attribute information corresponding to a plurality of content data, the content providing system shown in FIG. 11 may be adapted to send to the personal computer  1  the identification information of the content data corresponding to the attribute information hit by the full text search base don the keyword supplied from the personal computer  1 .  
         [0098]    While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims.