Patent ID: 8812584

Claim:
A system comprising: a moving picture file request receiving device for receiving a moving picture file request transmitted from a client terminal; a leading segment converting device for converting file format, number of pixels per frame, bit rate, frame rate and amount of data of a leading segment of a moving picture file, which segment represents the leading segment of the moving picture file specified by the moving picture file request, in such a manner that the leading segment can be reproduced by the client terminal that transmitted the moving picture file request and such that reproduction time thereof will be less than the time in which the moving picture file can be reproduced by the client terminal; a first transmitting device for transmitting the leading segment, which has been converted by said leading segment converting device, to the client terminal that transmitted the moving picture file request; a succeeding segment converting device for converting file format, number of pixels per frame, bit rate, frame rate and amount of data of a succeeding segment, which has a reproduction time less than that of the leading segment, during transmission of the leading segment by said first transmitting device, the succeeding segment being a segment that follows the leading segment transmitted by said first transmitting device; a succeeding segment request receiving device for receiving a request for the succeeding segment transmitted from the client terminal; a second transmitting device, responsive to receipt of the succeeding segment request, for transmitting the succeeding segment, which has been converted by said succeeding segment converting device, to the client terminal that transmitted the succeeding segment request; and a conversion control device for controlling said succeeding segment converting device in such a manner that the conversion by said succeeding segment converting device is repeated, wherein said conversion control device controls repeated conversion of next succeeding segments such that, upon the determination that a request for a second succeeding segment following a first succeeding segment is not received before conversion of the first succeeding segment ends, further conversion of the second succeeding segment is not performed; wherein in response to receipt of the succeeding segment request at said succeeding segment receiving device where conversion of the succeeding segment by said succeeding segment converting device has not ended, a completed portion of the succeeding segment in the succeeding segment converting device is transmitted to the client terminal.