Content reproduction apparatus, content delivery apparatus, content delivery system, and method for generating metadata
View Patent ↗Metadata for a content delivered from a content server is generated while suppressing an increase in the network traffic. A content delivery system includes a content server and a client communicatively connected to the content server. The content server includes a content transmission unit for sending a content to the client. The client includes a content reception unit for receiving the content from the content server, a content reproduction unit for reproducing the received content, a metadata generation unit for applying predetermined analysis processing to the received content to generate metadata that indicates a result of the analysis processing, and a metadata transmission unit for sending the generated metadata.
1. A content delivery apparatus having a processor communicatively connected to a content reproduction apparatus having a processor, comprising:
a content transmission unit that sends a content to the content reproduction apparatus, wherein the content transmission unit checks a metadata database to determine if metadata exists for the content, and
if metatadata does not exist for the content in the metatadata database, the content transmission unit also sends, when sending the content to the content reproduction apparatus, a generation request for metadata for the content to the content reproduction apparatus; and
a metadata reception unit that receives, when the metadata is generated by the content reproduction apparatus in response to the generation request, the metadata from the content reproduction apparatus, and updates the metadata database with the received metadata.
2. A content delivery apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the content transmission unit sends, when sending the content to the content reproduction apparatus, the generation request as a header of the content.
3. A content delivery system, comprising:
a content delivery apparatus having a processor; and
a content reproduction apparatus having a processor communicatively connected to the content delivery apparatus, wherein:
the content delivery apparatus comprises:
a content transmission unit that sends a content to the content reproduction apparatus, wherein the content transmission unit checks a metadata database to determine if metadata exists for the content, and
if metadata does not exists for the content in the metatadata database, the content transmission unit also sends, when sending the content to the content reproduction apparatus, a generation request for metadata for the content to the content reproduction apparatus; and
the content reproduction apparatus comprises:
a content reception unit that receives the content from the content delivery apparatus, wherein the content reception unit also receives, when receiving the content, the generation request from the content delivery apparatus;
a content reproduction unit that reproduces the content received by the content reception unit;
a metadata generation unit that applies, according to the generation request received by the content reception unit, predetermined analysis processing to the content received by the content reception unit to generate the metadata that indicates a result of the analysis processing; and
a metadata transmission unit that sends the metadata generated by the metadata generation unit to the content delivery apparatus;
wherein the content delivery apparatus further comprise a metadata reception unit that receives the metadata from the content reproduction apparatus in response to the generation request and updates the metadata database with the received metadata.
4. A content delivery system according to claim 3 , wherein
the content transmission unit sends, when sending the content to the content reproduction apparatus, the generation request as a header of the content.
5. A method for generating metadata, comprising:
a content transmission step of sending, in a content delivery apparatus, a content to a content reproduction apparatus communicatively connected to the content delivery apparatus,
wherein the content transmission step includes a step of checking a metadata database to determine if metadata exists for the content, and if metadata does not exist for the content, sending, when sending the content to the content reproduction apparatus, a generation request for metadata for the content to the content reproduction apparatus;
a content reception step of receiving, in the content reproduction apparatus, the content from the content delivery apparatus, wherein the content reception step includes a step of receiving, when receiving the content, the generation request from the content delivery apparatus;
a content reproduction step of reproducing, in the content reproduction apparatus, the content received in the content reception step;
a metadata generation step of applying according to the generation request received in the content reception step, in the content reproduction apparatus, predetermined analysis processing to the content received in the content reception step to generate the metadata indicating a result of the analysis processing;
a metadata transmission step of sending, in the content reproduction apparatus, the metadata generated in the metadata generation step to the content delivery apparatus;
a metadata reception step of receiving, in the content delivery apparatus, the metadata sent in the metadata transmission step in response to the generation request; and
a metadata database updating step of updating the metadata database with the received metadata.
6. A method for controlling a content delivery apparatus communicatively connected to a content reproduction apparatus, comprising:
a content transmission step of sending, in the content delivery apparatus, a content to the content reproduction apparatus, wherein the content transmission step includes a step of checking a metadata database to determine if metadata exists for the content, and if metadata does not exist for the content in the content database, sending, when sending the content to the content reproduction apparatus, a generation request for metadata for the content to the content reproduction apparatus;
a metadata reception step of receiving, when the metadata is generated by the content reproduction apparatus in response to the generation request, the metadata from the content reproduction apparatus;
a metadata database updating step of updating the metadata database with the received metadata.
7. A content delivery apparatus having a processor communicatively connected to both a content reproduction apparatus having a processor and a management apparatus having a processor communicatively connected to the content reproduction apparatus, comprising:
a content transmission unit that sends a content to the content reproduction apparatus, wherein the content transmission unit checks a metadata database to determine if metadata exists for the content, and if metadata does not exist for the content in the content database, also sends, when sending the content to the content reproduction apparatus, a generation request for metadata for the content to the content reproduction apparatus; and
a notification reception unit that receives, when the metadata is generated by the content reproduction apparatus in response to the generation request, a notification data that gives notice of generation of the metadata sent from the management apparatus which receives the metadata generated by the content reproduction apparatus and updates the metadata database with the received metadata.
8. A content delivery apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the content transmission unit sends, when sending the content to the content reproduction apparatus, the generation request as a header of the content.
9. A content delivery system, comprising:
a content delivery apparatus having a processor;
a content reproduction apparatus having a processor communicatively connected to the content delivery apparatus; and
a management apparatus having a processor communicatively connected to both the content delivery apparatus and the content reproduction apparatus, wherein:
the content delivery apparatus comprises:
content transmission unit that sends a content to the content reproduction apparatus, wherein the content transmission unit checks a metadata database to determine if metadata exists for the content, and if metadata does not exist for the content, also sends, when sending the content to the content reproduction apparatus, a generation request for metadata for the content to the content reproduction apparatus; and
the content reproduction apparatus comprises:
a content reception unit that receives the content from the content delivery apparatus, wherein the content reception unit also receives, when receiving the content, the generation request from the content delivery apparatus;
a content reproduction unit that reproduces the content received by the content reception unit;
a metadata generation unit that applies, according to the generation request received by the content reception unit, predetermined analysis processing to the content received by the content reception unit to generate the metadata that indicates a result of the analysis processing; and
a metadata transmission unit that sends the metadata generated by the metadata generation unit to the management apparatus; and
the management apparatus comprises:
a metadata reception unit that receives the metadata sent from the content reproduction apparatus in response to the generation request; and
a notification transmission unit that sends, when the metadata is received by the metadata reception unit, a notification data that gives notice of generation of the metadata;
wherein the content delivery apparatus further comprises a notification reception unit that receives the notification data sent from the management apparatus;
wherein the content transmission unit updates the metadata database with the received metadata and restricts transmission of the generation request after reception of the notification data by the notification reception unit.
10. A content delivery system according to claim 9 , wherein the content transmission unit sends, when sending the content to the content reproduction apparatus, the generation request as a header of the content.
11. A method for generating metadata, comprising:
a content transmission step of sending, in a content delivery apparatus, a content to a content reproduction apparatus communicatively connected to both the content delivery apparatus and a management apparatus communicatively connected the content delivery apparatus,
wherein the content transmission step includes a step of checking a metadata database to determine if metadata exists for the content, and if metadata does not exist for the content in the metadata database, sending, when sending the content to the content reproduction apparatus, a generation request for metadata for the content to the content reproduction apparatus;
a content reception step of receiving, in the content reproduction apparatus, the content from the content delivery apparatus, wherein the content reception step includes a step of receiving, when receiving the content, the generation request from the content delivery apparatus;
a content reproduction step of reproducing, in the content reproduction apparatus, the content received in the content reception step;
a metadata generation step of applying according to the generation request received in the content reception step, in the content reproduction apparatus, predetermined analysis processing to the content received in the content reception step to generate the metadata indicating a result of the analysis processing;
a metadata transmission step of sending, in the content reproduction apparatus, the metadata generated in the metadata generation step to the content delivery apparatus;
a metadata reception step of receiving, in the management apparatus, the metadata sent from the content reproduction apparatus;
a notification transmission step of sending in the management apparatus, when the metadata is received in the metadata reception step, by the metadata reception step, the notification data that gives notice of generation of the metadata;
a notification reception step of receiving, in the content delivery apparatus, the notification data sent in the notification transmission step and updating the metadata database with the received metadata;
wherein the content delivery apparatus restricts, after the notification reception step, transmission of the generation request in the content transmission step.
12. A method for controlling a content delivery apparatus communicatively connected to both a content reproduction apparatus and a management apparatus communicatively connected to the content reproduction apparatus, comprising:
a content transmission step of sending, in the content delivery apparatus, a content to the content reproduction apparatus, wherein the content transmission step includes a step of checking a metadata database to determine if metadata exists for the content in the metadata database, and if metadata does not exists for the content in the metadata database, sending, when sending the content to the content reproduction apparatus, a generation request for metadata for the content to the content reproduction apparatus; and
a notification reception step for receiving, when the metadata is generated by the content reproduction apparatus, a notification data that gives notice of generation of the metadata sent from the management apparatus which receives the metadata generated by the content reproduction apparatus and for updating the metadata database with the received metadata;
wherein the content delivery apparatus restricts, after the notification reception step, transmission of the generation request in the content transmission step.